Death Mark
by AyumixRose
Summary: Full Summary Inside So I recetnly finished the game and had the urge to write an Fanfiction for it. The plot is still the same with some differences and add-ons that I did. And the fact that Yashiki will be a female. I used Kurisu Makise from Steins; Gate to help with picturing the female version for Yashiki. The completed version is on AO3.
1. Prologue

**Summary:**

**I recently purchased this game and became hooked with it. Took me about 2-3 days to finish. And I just had this urge to write it out. So the story is mainly the same just some minor changes here and there. As the main protagonist will be a female then a male. Don't know why I wanted to do it like that...might be because I am a female and every time I play it I keep picturing the protagonist as a female...who knows...**

**A strange rumor is spreading through the shadows of Tokyo's H City: a mysterious disfigurement, like a grotesque birthmark, has been appearing on the bodies of certain individuals. Anyone who receives the Mark will rapidly die of unknown, horrifying causes. Deprived of your memories, you arrive at a mansion rumored to protect the bearers of the Mark. As the doors swing open, the countdown to death has already begun...**

* * *

"Hey! Wanna hit up the Karaoke place? The new Love & Hero song is out."

"Hmm…I'm not feeling up to it today. This story creeped me out earlier. Do you want to hear it?"

"Oh? Sure."

"You remember Miss Yamaguchi? She wears those big glasses. I heard she's gone missing."

"What? No one knows where she is?"

"Nope. She just disappeared. Just up and poofed from the library. One of the student librarians said she was researching something there. But then she vanished."

"But she's super diligent, right?"

"One of the students thought it was weird that she'd up and leave like that. So he checked in on her. But when he did… The only thing left… was her arm. It had her really weird scar on it, so it was definitely her arm…"

"A scar?"

"Yeah. It looked like a dog bite. She showed it to me once. She had no idea where it came from."

"…For real? There was a scar like that on Miki's leg, too…"

"Huh? Miki? Wait, that's…The girl who went missing, yeah."

"That's crazy."

"Maybe that rumor is true…The one about the cursed scar."

"Cut it out. You're scaring me…"

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

I hear snatches of an idiotic ghost story. They're speaking seriously…

But it's obvious they don't believe a word. They're only killing time. Rumors are the best way to do that.

The sun's about to set.

It's gotten later than I planned. I shouldn't have stuck around to hear that story. I better hurry.

_Sssccc_

_BA-THUMP_

_BA-THUMP_

_BA-THUMP_

…

Thunder rumbles in the distance. A huge mansion is in front of me. Strange. I'm sure I was just…

My vision blurs. My ears are buzzing. Ugh, my head's swimming. It's almost like I'm drunk.

What time is it?

I glance at my wrist, but my watch is gone. Did I put it in my coat pocket…? But all I find is a business card. In elegant printed letters is a name.

_Saya Kujou Spirit Healer_

On the back is a photo of the mansion. I guess this must be Kujou Mansion then?

Kujou Mansion… Saya Kujou… Those names sound familiar somehow…

One way to find out.

Taking a deep breath, I reach out to knock. I stop when I see something on my wrist.

It's a strange scar…

When did that…?

I could just be imagining this, but…I feel an icy chill when I look at it.

_KNOCK KNOCK_

My fist pounds on the door. No reply.

A light appears in a second floor window. It's probably too far from the door from them to hear me knocking. I grasp the doorknob and find it unlocked.

No point in staying outside.

I'll just go in. I'll apologize to the owner later.

The inside is shrouded in darkness. A small beam of light from the window is the only way I can see anything in here. It's dead silent except for the constant ticking of a clock's second hand.

…I must be in the entrance hall.

The atrium extends to the second floor.

"Anyone home?" I call out… There's no reply to my shout. Maybe they've soundproofed this place so they can't hear me down here. I guess I need to go upstairs then. A staircase is just visible up ahead. I walk toward it, cutting across the hall.

_Squeak_

My ears catch a strange noise. I turn to look where it's coming from…Someone's there, enveloped by the dark. I think they're staring at me.

"Hello…?"

I call out, but the person remains silent. Gulping, I hesitantly make my way over, trepidation slowing my steps.

It's a young girl.

She doesn't move an inch as I approach. At least it seems that way to me. It doesn't look like she's even breathing.

A corpse…

Great, I creeped myself out. I start to sweat.

What should I do?

With a shaky hand, I slowly reach out and touch her skin. I'm not sure what I expected, but it feels…unnatural somehow. Stiff…and cold. I press down on her arm and she makes the strange sound I heard earlier.

Ah, not it makes sense.

She's a doll.

A doll's joints creak when they're moved. That's what made the noise. What a relief. If disappointing. I carefully begin climbing the stairs, making sure not to trip.

_Ding ding ding_

As I reach the landing, the sharp sound of a bell breaks the silence. It seems to be coming from above me. Looking up, I can spy the outline of a clock. I bet that's what's making the sound. The noise guides me over. It's an antique grandfather clock. The noise is definitely coming from here. I reach toward the glass to check inside.

_Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock_

…All of a sudden, it stops chiming. Silence descends, broken only by ticking. I guess it's fixed now, but… that timing was little too spot on. Was it really a coincidence? All these strange occurrences make me uneasy, but I continue on to the room with a light.

Stopping in front of the door, I knock. But again, there's no reply. I try again, several times, even calling out, but there's still no answer. I push on the door…It's dark inside.

Strange… I definitely saw lights on in here when I was outside.

Wafting through the room is an odd smell. It's sugary, like a ripe fruit. The whole room is permeated with it. Some kind of aromatherapy maybe? It's not a particularly pleasant smell though…The aroma draws me further into the room. The floor under my feet feels…off.

It's wet.

It dawns on me that I'm smelling something else mixed in with the sweet smell…

I know this scent… This metallic tang…

_BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM_

Lightning flashes, and I catch a glimpse of something. The startlingly grotesque object stretches out across the floor beneath my feet. Something…strange is there…

_BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM_

It's so bizarre that I can't stop staring.

_BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM_

Blooming flowers are everywhere… They're bursting out of the woman's stomach, her blood-soaked body overwhelmed with them.

I wrench my gaze away, horrified. But the hellish image is burned into my mind. I can feel my entire body shaking. Bile rises. I'm going to throw up.

_BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM_

_BBBBOOOOOMMMMMM_

_Hehehe…_

In the next instant, the lights are on.

Wait, that's not all.

The body is gone, leaving only a stain.

This…doesn't make sense. It's a bad dream. At least, I'd really much prefer it if it was… But the faint smell that remains and the blood stain crush any hope I head of that.

I beat a retreat from the room in an effort to escape this whole bizarre situation. When I stumble back into the hall, the lights are on in here as well. I decide to have another look around. All the furnishing in here are old enough to be antiques. They match this old fashioned mansion.

A large doll sits on a couch. This must be the figure I saw in the dark. One would easily mistake this for a human if they couldn't see the ball joints. Probably belongs to the owner of the mansion. So what do I do now? Contact the police?

"Her stomach was full of flowers, sir, and the corpse up and vanished like fog." Like anyone would believe that…

"Welcome to Kujou Mansion."

The doll…moved. It spoke… A different kind of shudder runs through me than the one when I found the corpse… Up until this point, I was nothing more than an observer to all these freaky events. I could distance myself from it. But now… A _doll_ is talking to me.

"Have I startled you?" Yes. "If so, I sincerely apologize. My master ordered me to behave as a normal doll until told otherwise." The words are elegant and refined. But her face never moves an inch. She may look human, but she clearly isn't. She slowly folds her hands together.

So she can move, too…

"I am sorry for not introducing myself. I am called Mary. You have likely seen a number of oddities here already. I see. My master, Saya Kujou, was unable to escape from the Mark then."

Saya Kujou… Does she mean that corpse…? But wait, what's this about a 'mark'?

"Lady Saya was searching for a way to escape the Mark. Were you not also called here by her because of the Mark on your arm?"

She must be talking about this weird scar. Did Saya Kujou invite me to this mansion…? When I try to remember, my head hurts.

"I have something to tell you in place of my late master. But I would like to ask on thing first. Do you know your own name?" Mary asks.

Well, that was a much simpler question than I had been expecting. "It's…"

_Ba-thump_

…

_Ba-thump Ba-thump Ba-thump Ba-thump Ba-thump_

I break out into a sweat. My throat is drying up. Why… Why can't I answer…? I'm shocked to find I'm coming up blank.

"I see. Then it is as I thought." Somehow Mary knows what's going on with me. "Before I offer an explanation… Please decide on a temporary name. Things will go much easier if I have a name by which to call you. It is also likely you will find it hard to remain calm if you are nameless."

She's probably right. Better to have some placeholder name than continue life as a hollow, nameless being.

"I'm Karin Yashiki."

"Understood, Lady Yashiki." Mary says "Now I shall explain to you about the Mark. It is the seal of death. Those who have it will soon die. … You do not believe me? I am certain this sounds absurd to one who has led an uneventful life. However, my master's death proves it to be irrefutably true."

The corpse's sweet stench comes back to me. That didn't seem like the work of humans.

"I am afraid that the horror of the Mark does not stop there. Victims slowly lose their memories until the day they die. They face death all the while suffering from the terror of losing oneself."

Memory loss? That can't be. That'd mean that I'm…

"Yes. The fact that you have forgotten your name proves that death is coming. Lady Yashiki. You…** …will die this very dawn.**"

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

My memories skip forward a bit after that. I just remember… being completely stunned at what Mary revealed to me. I can probably attribute it to memory loss caused by the Mark. The next thing I know… I'm lying in a guest room in the mansion. I vaguely recall dragging myself up the stairs and coming here. I must've fallen asleep at some point, and thanks to that I feel a lot better.

"I'll die at dawn, huh…"

I try saying it out loud. It's definitely shocking, but I can't say it feels real yet. It doesn't make sense. Way out of the blue. But if it's true… is waiting for my untimely death the only thing I can do? It might be a good idea to ask Mary more about it.

I find Mary sitting in the exact same spot as before. She hasn't moved an inch. I doubt a doll gets bored waiting like humans do.

"Good morning, Lady Yashiki. Are you feeling better now?"

"Sort of."

"Wonderful. Since it appears that you have calmed down, I would like to ask you question. What will you do now? I can guide you down only two paths. The first is to wait for death. The second is to fight the mark."

"…Can you help me?" I hesitantly asked.

"If that is what you wish, yes." Mary said. "My master was researching the Mark. A few days prior to her death…she found a way to escape it. Regretfully, she passed away before she was able to inform me."

So she doesn't know anything after all…

"There is some time yet before dawn. You have a slim chance. Salvation is a thin thread dangling from heaven. Would that you would grab hold of it, and I shall do my utmost to help. What will you do?"

I guess it boils down to whether I trust her. If she's right about all this, my time on Earth is up at dawn. If I don't want to die, then there's no other choice but to resist the Mark until then. If she's lying, I'll be fine when morning comes. But am I really all right with that? People are being killed in nonsensical, grotesque ways… Am I going to turn a blind eye to it? This is a life or death decision… I need to think about it carefully.

**Live or Die**

"Then I shall ask you…Will you quietly wait for death? Or struggle against the Mark?"

"I'll fight the Mark."

**Survived**

"…I've decided to trust you." I told her.

"As you say, Lady Yashiki. Then I shall carry out the dying wish of my master and aid you. I cannot do much, but feel free to request anything you wish of me." Mary said.

…I made up my mind, but that doesn't mean I know what I should do. I know next to squat about the supernatural, and losing my memory makes research impossible. But I don't have a moment to lose.

_Knock knock knock_

A knock comes from the front door. Who'd come here this late at night?

"Oh my, what a sign of fate…It seems that other Mark Bearers have arrived." Is it instinct that she knows these things? Maybe she has some kind of mysterious power, being a talking doll and all. "I beg your pardon, Lady Yashiki. I do apologize, but could you go greet our guests in my stead? They may experience a shock if a doll such as myself welcomes them. Moreover, while I am able to move my arms, I am unable to walk."

She has a point… I move to the front door to greet our guests. People fated to die, like me…I wonder what they're like?

Who I find at the door are not who I'd expect to see out this late at night. A high schooler…And a small boy. These kids have the Mark? No way…

"Umm… We came to see Professor Kujou." The female high schooler said. "Who are you?"

Uh…I can't say I'm a total stranger since I am here in the mansion. "I'm…her disciple."

"Huh. Okay. She's got so much spiritual power, it's no surprise she'd have disciples."

She seems to know Saya Kujou. Now that I think about it, that business card did say 'Spirit Healer'. Going off this girl's accessories, I get the feeling she's a huge occult fan.

"I'm Moe Watanabe. I'm here to talk to her about this article she wrote in OOPArts Monthly." She pulls an occult magazine out of her bag. Inside is a picture of the Mark. The accompanying article says the scar is… "…a soul-inhibiting disease that erases memories. Inquire at Kujou Mansion. Um… This…is the same scar, right?" Moe lifts her skirt up a bit to show me her leg. Right there on her right thigh is the Mark. "I think I know what the article means by 'erasing memories'. I've been super forgetful lately. I'm even blanking on my friends' names. That's never happened to me before. Do you think this scar's doing it?"

"That article is obviously bogus." The young boy scoffs. "Even kids know better than to believe in ghosts or curses these days. And a high schooler fell for it. You must feel embarrassed about that."

"But Tsukasa… Weren't you hanging around out in front of the mansion's gate? Fess up. Your scar scares you."

"…"

Tsukasa seems to have no retort to that. He silently sulks. Looks like a bullseye. It's clear they're both Mark Bearers. I better bring them over to meet Mary.

Moe shrieks excitedly when she gets close. "Oh my god, it's so cute! It's a doll, yeah? I've never seen one this big before! The craftsmanship is so detailed…It's almost like it's alive."

They're both admiring her when…

"Welcome to Kujou Mansion."

"What!?"

"I-It spoke?!"

With that, the two new visitors join our number. They enter this monsterous world…That hovers on the precipice of death. Mary tells Moe and Tsukasa about the Mark once they regain their composure. All about the steady memory loss… And their imminent death. It sounds like a ridiculous story, but it gains validity coming from someone like her. Both of their faces pale.

"Now…If you came specifically here because you believed Lady Saya's article… You must have already experienced the pain of losing your memories."

"…"

Moe admitted as much earlier, but I can see Tsukasa's face darken. So it must be happening to him, too.

"Hey, Moe. I'd like to confirm something." I began "Where were you when you got the Mark?" My amnesia seems to be worse than theirs. So they might remember.

"I'm not positive, but…I think my Mark might be a curse from Hanahiko."

"…Hanahiko?"

"This name is familiar to me." Mary said. "He is the ghost the resident children of this town whisper about, correct? My master was interested in him."

So Saya Kujou was curious, too…Could be connected to the Mark somehow. "I'd like to hear more about this ghost."

"As you wish, Lady Yashiki."

Then I shall tell you…

The rumors of Hanahiko…


	2. Chapter 1 Hanahiko

_Oh, did you hear? About that ghost boy all the schools in H city are talking about? Sounds like Hanahiko is back."_

_"I heard that he can appear if…You peek in a school mirror at night. He'll ask you something."_

…Am I…pretty…?

_"If you tell him no you'll be fine, but…If you say yes…"_

…Give me that **red stuff** then…

_And then he just… disappears. But that's not all. Hanahiko hates adults, you know. I heard that if the person he asks is an adult…they'll die. And not just drop dead…Their **blood** is drained from them."_

_And next to the corpse…_

_Is a single rose._

**_A rose dripping with blood._**

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"Rumors can be easily manipulated." Mary explained. "Passing from one person to another, assumptions and errors mix in. But they also hold a hint of truth. Miss Moe, do you know anything else?"

"…I think I probably got my Mark…When I was investigating Hanahiko at H Elementary School."

This has got to be some sort of clue. I should ask her more about it. "Why were you at H Elementary?"

"My big dream is to write about the occult, so I'd love to see a ghost." She said. "I found this article in a magazine mentioning Hanahiko was seen there. I figured that placed be easier to sneak in than a regular school. Since it's been closed down."

"When did you notice the Mark?"

"I noticed it later in the bath. A strange scar was suddenly on my thigh. It really surprised me. I realized immediately that it had to be what professor Kujou wrote about."

"When you were at the school…was Hanahiko there?"

Moe ponders for a bit "I…don't think so. But I can't really say for sure. I went to the mirror… But a shiver suddenly ran down my spine. I got spooked and left."

…Right. I think I have a handle on what happened. No way to know for sure about the ghost. But there's no denying she had the Mark after returning home from H Elementary.

"Then maybe…" Tsukasa glances down at his left hand. "Mine might be from Hanahiko, too. I noticed it after I got home from T Elementary. That ghost was seen at a lot of schools in H City, right?"

Maybe he's remembered something. I better ask him some question, too. "T Elementary?"

Tsukasa nod his head "I go to school there. You've probably heard of it since it's the top ranked elementary in H City."

Top ranked elementary…*whistles* kid must be smart then.

"When did you see your Mark?"

"Maybe around sunset? I was heading home until I realized I forgot something and turned back."

"Did you see Hanahiko?"

Tsukasa shakes his head. "No. And I didn't get chills or anything either…Oh, but I think I passed a mirror. I went to the bathroom before going home."

Another mention of the mirror, I silently thought still, I glance back over to the kid...I don't think he knows any more. Their stories are pretty similar to the Hanahiko rumors. It can't be just a coincidence.

"You must investigate the places where Hanahiko appeared." Mary suddenly spoke. "For their sake, as well as yours."

"Ah, that's all well and good, but…" What exactly am I investigating?

"Death and life co-existing…If the Mark originated there, then a way to erase it will also be there. You must find it. Find the key you need to break the Mark's curse. That is the only way to escape."

And all of a sudden a huge burden was dropped on my shoulders.

"It seems that Hanahiko appeared at two schools. Where will you investigate?"

Hmm…two school with possible spotting's of Hanahiko. Which would be the best choice to go too? Looking back the best option would be H Elementary as Moe has said it's abandon and it'll be easy to sneak in then a school that is still running…I glance over at Tsukasa uniform…yikes those look expensive…most likely T Elementary has more security judging from his clothes. So then…H Elementary is our best choice to start with. I'll…think of something if we do wind up having to go to T Elementary.

With that in mind I nod my head "I think we should look into H Elementary."

Moe nods her head. "Yeah, that's probably wise. They'd arrest you on the spot if you tried to sneak into a regular school."

A young adult woman who can't recall her name, let alone address or job title…yeah it's probably for the best if we _don't_ investigate T Elementary. I don't want to try and explain to the police about the Mark. Good high chance I'll be thrown in a mental hospital and that alone will put a damper on my plans.

"Wanna get going then?" Moe asked. "Let's do this."

"Wait, you're coming too?" I asked her in shock.

"Uh, of course." She said as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I haven't given up on seeing Hanahiko yet." She grins at me. Is she really strong…? Or is this blind optimism…kids these days…

"…I'm going too." Tsukasa quietly spoke up.

"Hey, not you too. Seriously?"

"My life's on the line here." He said. "I don't want the reason I die to be because you messed something up."

Ouch, that's pretty bold. Good thing you're cute. But to bring kids along with me is…

"I understand your hesitation." Mary said. "But the Mark does not discriminate, stealing lives of children and adults. If they wish to fight their fate, you should honor that."

"…." I suppose human logic doesn't fly when dealing with the supernatural. We'll need to prepare ourselves for the worst if we're going to survive.

"Please take only one mark Bearer with you, however. A large group will increase the odds of you being detected by spirits. I also ask that you not waste time dawdling with others on the way. It is possible unnecessary contact may hasten the effects of the Mark. Only engage when absolutely necessary. Keep contact with others to a minimum. Have a safe trip."

"Oh yeah. Hey, miss." Moe spoke up "Don't you think it'd be a good idea to take notes on what Mary's told us? Your memory's getting worse all the time. We don't wanna forget anything."

She has a point. I don't know when I'll lose my memory again. I'll write down all the information I get and keep it in my file. Something in it might just save our lives at some point.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

First, we have to get to H Elementary. Mary says we're free to use the car in the garage.

The garage is detached from the mansion. The vintage model van and bicycles only accent the elegant interior. Thank God for careless people. The car key was left on the table. Time to go.

"Uh, hey…" Moe start as she glances to me then to the van then back to me "According to Mary, you lost a bunch of your memories, right?"

"…Yeah." I raised a brow, wondering what she is getting at.

"Is it really okay for you to drive?" She looks at me suspiciously.

I sigh, not that I can blame her really. "Don't worry, it'll be fine…I think. It'll all come back when I take the wheel." Part of that is to convince myself.

"But aren't you missing your license? If a cop finds us, we'll have more to worry about than Hanahiko…"

She's right about that. But our lives are on the line, so we don't have much of a choice. "Once the Mark's gone, I'll remember. Then I'll just have them reissue it. Assuming I ever got one."

"Ugh, now I'm even _more_ worried. Just…drive safe, okay?"

No need to be told twice kid.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

Human bodies are remarkable. Back in the garage, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to drive or not. But the second my hands touched the wheel, I wasn't worried anymore. My muscles reacted quicker than I expected, and it's now easy to guide this monster down the road. But now… Thoughts of what I can no longer do start to filter into my head.

"Hey, miss…" Moe pipes up hesitantly. I probably let the silence go on too long. She doesn't seem as cheerful as she was a little while ago. "What's it like…to lose your memories?"

"…" That's a hard question to answer. "What do you mean?"

"Like, do they all go at once? Or a few pieces at a time…What if you're only left with sad memories? I'd hate that…"

"I don't think it works like that, but…" I have no idea if it's getting worse or better. I don't know what I was like to begin with, so there's nothing to compare to. In that sense, rather than the memories 'vanishing'… "It's like everything's been painted white. That's what it feels like."

"Oh…You sure are mature, miss. You take everything so calmly."

The conversation dwindles, leaving only the sound of the tires on the road. Then 'thoughts' start popping into my head again, one after another.

"I know we have to check out that mirror. But what else should we investigate? What do you think?" Moe glances over at me.

"No idea…" I said honestly. I can't even remember my own name. How the hell am I supposed to know what we're doing?

"Awww, please? I'm really counting on you."

_'Think whatever you want.'_ I'm talking to a child. I need to show restraint and be a good example. But that's definitely how I really feel. I stare down at the steering wheel.

The doll in the mansion, Mark Bearers…The Mark…spirits…And the mysterious deaths…

I feel like I'm going to be buried under all of the crushing thoughts that keep pooping into my head. What awaits me down this dark road? I feel a flutter from the Mark on my wrist. Like it's trying to warn me. My brain might not be able to understand, but my body can sense it.

That death is closing in…

If that's happening isn't the problem anymore. It's more how long do I have left?

"How much longer is it?"

"?!" I almost yell, but I manage to swallow it down with effort. "…I think we're almost there."

"Really? It's closer than I thought."

"Yeah…" Yeah… That's exactly right. At any time, 'it' could… "It's a lot closer than you'd think."

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

Looming ominously in the moonlight, the school definitely looks abandoned. For quite a number of years, in fact. The walls are starting to crack. All the windows are broken as well. A thick chain is in front of the main gate to keep people from going in.

"Hey! You there! Not another step!"

The enthusiastic voice comes from a man in a guard uniform. He must be patrolling the area. Looks like we got caught.

"This property belongs to the city. No one's allowed inside. Didn't you know? …Or are you up to something? A bunch of people've been coming here on dares since it's haunted. You aren't one of them, are you?"

Probably be best to play ignorance. "This place is haunted?" I asked him.

"Well… that's what the rumors are saying anyway. It's a giant pain."

Moe nods in agreement. "It _is_ pretty famous, after all."

The guard sighs. "Anyway, the school's off limits, so you can't go inside. I don't want any trouble on my first shift here. Please leave. Okay?" Muttering to himself, the guard makes his way into the school.

As we watch him leave, Moe leans over and whispers. "Damn. There wasn't a guard when I snuck in here before. We better not get caught."

"Yeah." I nod.

* * *

Pushing open the doors, we head inside.

"Whoa, it's so dark!" Moe exclaims "We can't see anything like this."

"The moonlight doesn't reach inside. We'll just have to use the flashlight."

"But if we use the flashlight, that guard will find us… can't do anything about it, I guess. Anyway, that mirror is…Hmm, I'm pretty sure it's to the right. On the staircase."

"Okay then." As we made our way over to the right hallway we heard a strange animal sound. A small shadow flits across our feet.

"Huh?"

I turn on the flashlight to find…

"Aww, a bunny! It's so cute!" Moe gushes at the rabbit. "Was it the school pet?"

"I doubt it. This place looks like it's been abandon for a couple of years. It could be a wild animal."

The black rabbit squeak and runs away. It rushes toward the eastern end of the school.

"Aw, it ran away… Is it telling us to follow?" Moe ask. "Ha ha… Yeah, right."

After that we quickly made it to the staircase where the mirror is at.

"This is it…" Moe said. "It's the mirror I saw last time. I'm sure of it."

"Huh…" Just then, a dull pain runs through my wrist. Like somethings is biting into my skin…

To distract myself from the pain, I keep talking with Moe. "It certainly looks normal."

"Y-Yeah…What should we do?"

"Hmm…" I glance back at the mirror. It's a dirty mirror and all the stains make it hard to see my reflection. I face forward and silently wipe the grey mirror with my hand. As I expected, I can't make anything out. All I see is my own shadow reflected as a vague, shadowy lump.

My shadow sways in the mirror.

…At least that's what I thought at first.

I figured the shadow moved because I had. But the next time the shadow moves, a cold shiver runs down my spine. That's not my shadow…

…Something is in the mirror!

"…!" Moe yelps and steps back.

Well, that confirms I'm not hallucinating. There really I something in there. Every muscle in my body locks. I try to look away, but I can't even close my eyes. The figure's mouth twists. I don't want to look, but I can't even close my eyes. It opens its mouth… An odd voice pierces my ears.

**Live or Die**

_"Hey… Am I…pretty…?"_

If I remember correctly by the rumors then the answer I need to give is.

"No."

_"…If I only had…that **red stuff**… … I…can't see well…Are you… a grownup?"_

Crude that's right the rumors says Hanahiko doesn't like grownup's…but he says he can't see well. Is it because of how dirty the mirror is…? One way to find out.

"Nope. I'm the tallest in my class!" I spoke in a cheerfully voice, praying that the tone I use won't give away that I am an adult.

_"…Big people…aren't allowed in school….?!"_

_SMASH_

Suddenly, the mirror cracks.

_"It cracked… Now… I can't…see…No…more…big…people…here…"_

The figure disappears.

**Survived**

_"AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh!"_

A scream echoes from the other side of the school.

Moe sinks to the floor. She gasp in panicked disbelief for a while. I feel much the same.

"Wh-What…was that…?"

"That was probably…"

Hanahiko.

I couldn't say it. The word sticks in my throat. My mouth is completely dry.

"I-I can't believe this… I-I thought I wanted to see a ghost…B-But to see one that clearly…" Moe seems to shake the encounter off and return to normal.

Hanahiko's words swirl around in my head.

Our situation has done a complete reverse from where we were just moments ago. I can't believe I was complaining about not knowing what to investigate…

"Oh! A-Anyway… That scream. W-Was that…?"

"The guard we met outside…" I doubt there's anyone else here. He might've seen something wherever he is, too. It sounded like it came from far away, a ways down the hallway…That would be the other side of the school.

"Yeah…Let's go look for him." Moe suggested "But if he screamed like that…"

"Something might've happened to him." I concluded. Right as I respond… I hear someone whisper in my ear.

**_"Purify…with…red…"_**

I look in the direction of the voice. But all I see is darkness.

"Miss?"

"No, it's nothing…Let's go." We treaded down the stairs and headed down to where the scream came from. As we got closer to the staff room however…

_Thump_

I hear a noise like something slamming against the door.

"I-Is someone inside…?"

I shine the flashlight at the door.

"Gaaaaaaaah!"

Out of nowhere, the door bursts open and something comes flying out!

"Eeeeek!" Moe shrieks and fall down.

I recognize those clothes… Some kind of plant covers half of his face.

"Ah…Ahh… Gah…ha…I…I…?!" The part of his face we can see is twisted in anguish as he screams.

No doubt about it… It's that guard.

What the hell happened?

"…Thorns are eating my face…It hurts… What's going on…?"

"A….Uh…" Moe sits on the floor, stunned into just syllables.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!" The guard suddenly rushes toward the entrance.

And then…

Silence falls once more.

"*Pant**Pant*"

The only sound left is that of our shaky breathing.

Once we catch our breaths, I take Moe's hand and help her up. Our nerves have calmed some, but that definitely left an unsettling impression. Something terrible lurks here. We can't just sit around.

"I-I felt like I was paralyzed…I'm okay now. But miss…That guy…" Moe stares at the door. "I wonder if…Hanahiko did that. A-And I don't know if you noticed… But I got the feeling someone was standing behind him…"

There's really no good way to respond to that. I let silence serve as my answer. What else could I do? No point in coming here if we're just going to stand here shaking. If we don't uncover the secret before it comes for us…

"…Why don't we check out the staff room." I tactfully avoid answering Moe's question. The guard had run out of here. Something might be inside… Some secret about Hanahiko…

"Y-Yeah, you're right…Let's just be careful, okay?"

I covered my wrist with my palm, making sure Moe doesn't notice. The moment I'd put my hand on the knob… The Mark burned my skin, pulsing along with my beating heart. Taking a deep breathe I slide open the door to the staff room.

The staff room is chaos. The furniture is upended and the walls are… Was there a fire here or something? There are black scorch marks everywhere.

"…Whew…" Moe looks relieved as they come out from behind me. "Whoa…It's totally empty…A-Anyway, let's look around."

Well, there's not much in this room anyway so where…oh. On the other side of the room is a door. I believe this room could be the storeroom. Might be best if we check it out. Walking over I opened the door to the room.

"It's kinda cramped in here. Is this a storage room?" Moe asked.

"…Seems to be. Hopefully there's something useful in here." Moving the flashlight around, I spotted a box on top of the self. "Here, Moe, hold this for a second." I hand her the flashlight as I reaching up, I grab the box placing it on the ground and look inside.

"A lipstick, red pen and girl's slippers. I wonder why these where in here." Moe wonders.

"Don't know. But they might be important." I grab the items and put them in my bag and took back the flashlight from Moe. Moving the light around Moe pointed to the ground.

"Hey Miss look!" I pointed the light to where she was pointing at "It looks like a trapdoor. But why would there be a trapdoor in a school?"

"Good question." I said bending down examining the door. It's a well-built door, big enough to fit an adult through it. "I wonder…" The metal handle is retracted into the door. I try to get a grasp on it and pull it out, but I am unsuccessful. "Hmm, perhaps…" I reach into the bag and taking out the letter opener. Perhaps if I use this, I might be able to pop the handle out. Right as I was about to put the knife in my Mark bites into my wrist again. It's almost like it's trying to stop me from searching under the floor. I stand up, pretending to be calm.

Okay, that's worrying. Something dangerous must be here.

"What's wrong? Are you going to see what that is?" Moe asked.

"I'll, uh…check it out later." I keep my reply vague as I dust off my knees. "Let's look around the room first to see if there's anything else. There's a bunch of interesting stuff in here."

There's definitely something beneath our feet. But we better make sure we're prepared if we're going down there.

I walked over to the bookshelves to see what I think is a school journal. However the paper's deteriorated from age and bugs, so I can't read it.

"Ergh…!"

Blinking I put the journal back on the self and look over to see Moe bent down struggling to open the cabinet door. "What are you doing?"

Moe pants a bit before speaking. "I thought there might be something in here but the door won't open. It feels like something's stopping it."

I frown; strange…what could be stopping the door from opening? "Here let me look at it." I walked over as Moe got out of the way. I squat down looking at the door. It looks like the sliding door has a simple lock, just sticking something in the hold for the screw. The key itself seems to have gone missing. I don't see it anywhere. "What's this…?" Something's tuck in the hole for the screw. It seems that wooden thing works as a lock. I'll have to do something about that to open the door.

I take out the red pen from the bag. If I use the pen, I might be able to pop pout whatever's stuck in the hole.

"Wow, you've got skills…"

"…" Is it that surprising? Anyway, I need to focus. "…?!" Suddenly the resistance vanishes and the pen pokes all the way through. I put my hand on the door and slide it open without any issues.

There's a red tube inside. It's…a Warning Flare.

"A flare… What's that for?" Moe asked.

"It's a signal light for emergencies. It's a good idea to always have one in your car."

"Huh. Okay then. But…" Moe picks something up off the floor. It's a thorn about as long as my pinky finger. That's what was in the hole. "This is so not a coincidence…I bet he didn't want anyone to have that! So he put a thorn in the hole…Is he…scared of this?"

We both look at the flare again.

_Click_

What the-!?

"H-Huh?! What ? Why'd you turn off the light?"

That wasn't me!

_Click click click_

"I didn't turn it off, it just went off!"

_BAM_

"Wh-What was that noise?! Hey, miss, what was that noise?!"

"(Shhh! Be quiet!)" It's a struggle to not yell with my nerves on edge. I hit the flashlight again and again.

_Click click click_

"(Come on…Please…The batteries were just working!)" I feel like I'm performing CPR on this thing. But finally… "Got it!"

_BOOM BAM THUMP_

"…!"

The door behind me warps threateningly. My Mark burns in pain. Death is already in the room next door… There's no time, and nowhere to run.

Calm down… I need to find a way out of this quickly. We're running out of time. A way to survive…! We've got to hurry…! I glance down at the trapdoor…wait that's it!

I quickly squat down at the door and took out the letter opener and shove it in. I might be able to get the handle out with way. When it touches the metal, my Mark scorches me. I stop moving for just a second. But… I have to do this.

_Click pop_

Yes, I got it! I grab the handle and lift up the trapdoor. As I thought, a dark hole leads down under the floor.

"Get in!" I shove Moe into the hole. Then I slide down into the darkness after her, while shutting the door behind me.

_Thump_

"Ugh…!" I fall unexpectedly far, hitting my back against something. I grit my teeth to stop myself from yelling.

Something's shuffling around above my head. If we had stayed there just a few more seconds… I grip my burning wrist with all my might. I must endure the pain for now.

_Squeak squeak_

"…"

I can hear anxious panting… Moe must be right next me. She's shaking so hard, I can see it from the corner of my eye.

_BAM_

_BAM_

"?!"

I brace myself, expecting the trapdoor to break open any second. But the shuffling noise finally grows distant.

"Is it…okay now?"

"Yeah… I think it's gone."

Suddenly my wrist isn't hurting anymore.

"Thank god… I thought we were done for this time."

Though she can't see, I nodded to that response. Yeah…Thank God indeed. "Anyway, where are we?"

…What in the world is this room? I'm surprised this place exists beneath the school.

"Can you turn on the light?"

"Oh…right." I cautiously press the switch, being careful not to make any noise. "?!" What the hell…

The scene captured in the light of the flashlight sends shivers down my spine.

"Wha…?!" Moe slaps a hand over their mouth.

"…"

For a few moments all we can do is stare in silence. A disturbing scene, more horrible than anything I've seen before, spreads out before us. Anyone would be shocked by it. Especially a kid.

I take a deep breath and look closer. There's something twisting around the corpses… It looks like some kind of plant vine. "Are those…roses?" the strangely sharp thorns and the thin, red petals…There appears to be real, live roses covering the corpses and carpeting the floor.

My vision suddenly grows dim. I see a woman's body trapped by roses. "Wh…What is…this?" The woman's clothes are shredded while being painfully tied up by the vines. And the worst is where some of the vines are pointed at, this poor woman is about to be rape by those vines. The tragedy that happened in this room…It's as if it's all playing out in my head. I can see it.

"Roses? What're they doing here?"

…?!

"Did someone plant them?"

Moe's voice brings me back to reality.

"Y-Yeah…" I can't tell her that I saw some waking dream. I scramble to remember the conversation. That's right, I saw the rose vines, then… "Yeah, that's got to be it. It's not like they'd just spring up on their own. But…"

…Why would anyone do that? Did someone decorate the corpses for some kind of reason? Or did they die captured by the roses, like I saw in that vision…?

"Eeek…?!" Moe screams.

"What's wrong?"

"S-Something moved! See over there! Back in there!"

No…Is something hiding in here?

I move my flashlight around till something shining caught my eye. I looked over at the corpse in the far right. The body is twisted in an odd position, as if it's still in pain even now. I hesitantly search the corpse. Something flashes within the vines by its feet. "A round hand mirror? Why would it be here?" It looks like a gift for a young woman.

"A mirror…?" Moe inquires "I guess someone was here after all."

"Most likely…" I put the mirror in the bag then proceed to look around some more. At the far left end there's a bed with a metal pipe frame. The mattress is completely discolored, stained with something that looks like sweat. Someone must have been living here. And for a long time, too. The mattress is also oozing dark, dirty water. It smells like sewage. I slide the mattress over and find a plastic sheet underneath it. It's pretty thick. Was it put there to protect from water damage? The top of the sheet is pitch black. At first glance, it looks like it's covered in mold. But when I spread it open, it crunches as dark red flakes fall from it. "…This is…blood."

"?!"

I can't do anything but whisper, dumbfounded, as I stare at the bloodstained sheet. Something murmurs in my ear, as if in reply.

**_"Their blood…denies him…"_**

Part of me takes the voice seriously.

I'm clearly hallucinating…but for some reason it calms me down. Still in a daze, I shine the flashlight under the bed.

"There it is again! S-Something's there!"

Moe's voice has gone very shrill. Then…

"Hey now, gimme a break. I'm no monster, you know. I'm just a regular human being."

Something slowly climbs out from under the bed. It's a man in a trench coat.

"A-A person?! What were you doing under there?" Moe asked.

The man looks bored. He scoffs. "Same as you. I ran into that monster and escaped down here. Then you guys came…" The man turns his back to us and jerks his chin. "Anyway, I was hiding over there."

His answer is believable enough… But why is he at this school to begin with? His presence raises a lot of questions. The man tilts his head a bit and peers at me.

Then he snorts.

It seems he's seen through me.

"You don't look like you believe me… Guess that's only natural. I haven't told you everything either. I could, but…" The man looks around at his feet. "We better get out of here first. We shouldn't chat at the crime scene."

"I think you're right."

Moe seems to feel the same way.

"Let's head back for now." I said.

"You have somewhere to go back to? Good. Then let's get going." The man puts his hand on the ladder. He pauses and turns to us. "The name's Satoru Mashita. I'm an ex-detective. …Forgot to mention that."

The man named Mashita disappears up the ladder. We follow him back up to the first floor. But when we emerge, he's not there.

"Hey. Take a look at this." Mashita's calling to us from down the hallway. "Was it like this when you guys came through?"

Moe pipes up, voice slightly wobbly. "No, it wasn't…It wasn't like this at all."

Something's creeping along the hallway. They're…rose vines.

"Thought so…I didn't see them before either."

_Ding ding, tick-tock tick-tock_

**_The mark's color grows more vivid…_**

**_Early Dawn  
A few hours left until death closes in._**

DEATH MARK

Some people naturally put others on guard, even if there's no particular ill will between them. That's exactly the type of person Mashita is.

"Oh, you've got some nice stuff here."

The moment he climbs in the car, he makes a grab for my bag. Then he starts inspecting all of my stuff. I wasn't planning on keeping a constant eye on him, but he's making it very hard not to. Moe seems like the type to stick her nose in everything, but… she's suspiciously silent, as if exhausted.

"…? Are you okay, Moe?"

"Huh…?" Moe snapped back to attention at the sound of my voice. "O-Oh…yeah… Just zoning out, you know. I'm fine."

She doesn't look fine, but…My other passenger is more of a concern right now. "So…were you at the school because you were investigating something?"

"I'm not on the force anymore. Just poking around for my own reasons. Something I wanted to check."

I don't doubt what he says, but…that would mean he entered the school illegally. "What were you-?"

"Let me ask one thing first." Mashita interrupts my question and point to my arm. "Does that…hurt?"

It didn't' take me long to spot the Mark on my wrist. "Sometimes. It hurts the most whenever I'm in danger."

"Huh, is that so…" Mashita leans back in his seat, satisfied. "I was investigating some missing people." Guess he's responding to my question now. "That school came up in a number of missing persons cases. Each one had some affiliation with H Elementary before they disappeared. Teachers, workers, people in the PTA, students and their family members…I was looking for them."

"Then…" Moe speaks up from the back seat. "Were those people…The corpses down there…?"

She doesn't sound as energetic as she usually does. Did something happen after all? Is her Mark…?

Mashita doesn't reply. Maybe he thinks the answer's obvious, or maybe replying to a kid isn't worth his time. But something bugs me about what he just said. If the school was clearly suspicious then…

"Of course I brought it up to my superiors. All I got for it was…" He continues before I can ask, making a slashing motion across his neck.

"You got fired, huh?"

"'Disciplinary discharge.' Something about sexually harassing a subordinate. That principal's gotta have some kind of political pull. I probably dug up something he didn't want getting out. That wasn't my plan. I never meant to uncover anything dirty."

True, the school did have that suspicious room. It's not that strange to think it would come up in some missing persons cases. That would be common sense, at least. But common sense is for the world of the living. "A spirit… Might have something to do with those cases."

"…"

There's an awkward silence.

"In that sense… This isn't even a case anymore, is it." Mashita sighs deeply. "Who'd believe it? Who would believe that there's a monster in that school killing people? It's personal now. Our problem… And we're on our own." He turns his wrist over and shows it to me. On his skin is the familiar Mark.

"…You, too?"

"Yeah… I sensed it as soon as I saw yours. I had a feeling this'd be a problem. We're in the same boat, you and I."

He has good instincts.

"We should talk more when we get back. At Kujou Mansion, there's some-" I stop myself from finishing my sentence. I shouldn't mention that for now. "In any case…Once we get back we'll give you more details."

"Yeah…"

"I'm sure that'll help him a bunch." Moe said.

"…"

But Mashita scoffs.

"Help, huh? You're underestimating me."

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

When I get out of the car…Someone's there to greet me.

"Welcome back, Miss Yashiki. You too, Miss Moe. I'm glad you're unharmed. Did you find any clues about the spirit?" Tsukasa greeted.

"What, so there are others?"

"This is everyone." I said.

"Huh. What a reliable group you've got." The sarcasm is practically dripping off his words. "So? Are you all planning on continuing to search for that key or whatever it is?"

"We don't have anything else to go on." I admitted with a sigh. "There's no other choice."

"I don't understand you. If the source of the Mark is this spirit…It would be best to destroy the source. Don't you think?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The spirit exists. So all you have to do is kill it."

"Are you…serious?" Moe gasp.

Of course he's serious. He doesn't exactly look like the joking type. Even if we managed to kill it, will that really make the Mark disappear? When I consider everything Mary's told me, it doesn't seem like it'd work that way. Even assuming it did, we have a more fundamental problem.

"And how do you plan to kill it?" I question.

"I'll figure something out. If something exists, there's logically a way to destroy it as well."

…Well _that's_ reassuring. He claims he can kill the spirit, yet he doesn't even know how he'll do it. Where does all that confidence come from?

"Don't forget, I've faced him once already. If we're seriously thinking of killing him…" Mashita grasps his wrist. "The little shit shot some kind of thorns at me from a distance. They hit hard enough to stick in concrete. There's no way to get in close to him. We have to make that a priority." Mashita pulls something out of the heel of his shoe and tosses it at me. It's a thorn, curved like a fang. "The only reason I'm still breathing is because I was lucky. It won't happen next time. We need a plan."

* * *

As we head to the entrance, I tell Mashita about Kujou Mansion. He takes it all in silently. Even bringing up the talking doll or Saya Kujou's death doesn't trigger a reaction. Is he so unnervingly calm because he's already dealt with the supernatural?

We reach the main hall, which is warmly lit. This is a strange mansion, but for some reason, I feel like I've come home. Acclimatization is kind of terrifying.

"Welcome back, Lady Yashiki. That man is a Mark Bearer too, I see. Would you make the introductions?"

I update Mary on our investigation and the strange way we met Mashita. The Mirror, the underground room full of corpses, the sudden appearance of roses… I really hate to admit it, but it's clear something supernatural is at work here. And the spirit that caused all of it… Hanahiko. There's no doubt that Hanahiko is the one who put the Mark on Mashita's arm, too. But…Images of the guard and the room flash through my mind. What kind of chance do we have against a monster that can do that? Mashita says we should kill him…

But is that even possible?

"Hey, Yashiki."

My train of thought is interrupted. Mashita's holding a leather-bound notebook out toward me.

"Read this. I picked it up in that underground room. It was caught up in a bunch of those rose vines when I found it. It was pretty hard to get loose."

"Did you read it?"

"I skimmed through a bit. It's got some interesting stuff."

That's what he says, but he's not smiling at all. His eyes simmer with a quiet anger.

Dark red marks stain the cover. I have a bad feeling, but I flip through it. Rose petals fall as they become unstuck from the pages.

…The notes within are very detailed.

The author was intelligent and well-written. Reading though, it dawns on me that this was written by H Elementary's principal. The austere, meticulous letters on each page tell a ghastly story…

Records of a young, adopted boy's tutoring sessions.

The first note is from five years ago.

It seems the boy adopted by the principal was small and exceedingly cute. He enjoyed wearing skirts and makeup, too. There was no denying that they truly suited a dainty, red-cheeked boy like him. But the principal had a hard time accepting such fancies. Bad habits must be corrected young to promote sound mental health, he thought.

So he called it 'tutoring' as a cover for he warped desires. They took place in the underground room. Too many prying eyes anywhere else. There was no safer place than the school at night, once all the teachers had left. The principal stayed behind under the pretense of keeping watch, then 'tutored.'

He was a highly respected teacher. He'd even made appearances on TV. There was no reason to be suspicious. The only one who noticed anything strange was the boy's homeroom teacher. But she feared the principal's power and firmly kept her mouth shut.

As the notes continue, they are more and more deranged. They paint a horrible picture. It is of a totally distorted parent and child. _"My child gets weaker after every session…His delicate frame has grown thinner and his red cheeks are now darkened."_ His appearance is described in detail. But there is no malice or hatred… There's just…fanatical sincerity, his pride as an educator…And a terrifying, smothering love.

It continues like that to the very last page. There's no mention of what became of the principal and the boy. But going by the current state of H Elementary, I can hazard a guess.

"You don't look so well, miss. What was in that notebook?" Tsukasa peers up at me. He and the boy in the notebook are about the same age. This isn't stuff you share with a kid. I better just sum up the main points for him. "…That's terrible. We children are always the victims of the ego of adults. Stupid grownups are irredeemable."

The way he'd say that makes sense. The revolting evil of the adults, and the poor boy who became a victim… But is that really the end? If Hanahiko and the boy in the notebook are connected… then the boy turned into a monster. Is that even possible?

"Untimely deaths produce hatred. Death does not bring it to an end. Such festering sentiments can give birth to the supernatural. Monster, ghosts, vengeful spirits… they have many names. I believe that you have all heard one or two such stories. Hanahiko is similar."

Mary words are hard to swallow. But after all those weird events, it only makes sense to accept them. If I turn my back to the truth, all that will await me is death.

"Then Hanahiko really is a monster…We must form a plan based on that hypothesis."

Mary is silent a moment. Then her jade glass eyes shift to Mashita. "Incidentally, according to Lady Yashiki's report…There are those among you who are considering killing the spirit. I shall warn you just in case, but that will be very difficult to do."

"Why's that?" I could see Mashita narrow his eyes, but I made sure to speak up first.

"They are from the world of the dead. Just as the living cannot become more alive, the dead cannot be killed. The only thing you could possibly destroy is the cursed sentiment."

"So…what does that mean?"

"It is as I told you before. Death and life existing together…If that is the origin of the Mark, then a way to erase it will be there. By driving away the spirit, the curse will also be eliminated."

So defeating Hanahiko is how we'll be able to destroy the Mark. Setting aside how he can't be killed.

"What exactly is the key then?"

"It is nothing more than a concept, so I am unsure, but…I am certain of one thing. Fate ties the spirit to its place of birth. An object there may be able to fulfill the role of the key. It is difficult concept to grasp, but that is just how spirits are. Determining the nature of the key… that will decide your fate."

I had a feeling. We'll just have to keep digging around at H Elementary. We don't know what the cursed sentiments or the key to destroying the grudge are.

"Gaining the key and lifting the grudge is the only way to survive. You will required to be callous to make use of the spirit's fear. The way to repel the spirit lies within its grudge. Remember this. And be careful."

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"Hey! Wait…" Mashita appears as we're getting ready to leave. "Bad news. That high school girl…"

"Miss Moe is gone." Tsukasa said "At least, she's nowhere in the mansion."

Speaking of which…I didn't see her when we were talking to Mary in the hall, either.

"Maybe she ran away." Mashita said.

"That doesn't make sense…" What would she accomplish by doing that? Running away from the mansion won't make her Mark disappear.

"It could be her form of escape. Many kill themselves if they know they're gonna die."

"Or maybe…something happened to her." Tsukasa said. "Like…the spirit's curse…"

"…" Moe saw Hanahiko in the mirror at the school, so she's the Mark Bearer with the strongest connection. It's possible that he zeroed in on her, just like Tsukasa said. "But…"

"There's nothing we can do." Mashita sigh "…Let's get ready to go."

Yeah… We can't really do anything right now. Even if something happened to Moe, if we can get the Marks to vanish…That should save her, too. "Let's head out. We're going back to H Elementary."

DEATH MARK

"…" We've come back to H Elementary. I know full well… That in the end this place is just a school. "Let's go…" Mashita nods silently and steps forward.

We went back down the hallway where we found the trap room, though…we saw it earlier, but…the hallway has completely transformed.

"Careful of the thorns. They aren't your run of the mill rose thorns. Hm…? Wait, something's there." Mashita suddenly speaks up.

"Where?"

"Something's sparkling by the window ledge."

The window…? All I see are rose vines. I may as well check it out, though. "Hm…?" Something's glinting over by the window. Looks like something's buried in the rose vines. "There's definitely something there." I didn't notice it before. No, maybe it wasn't there yet when we passed through here earlier.

"There was a guard that got killed, yeah? It's probably his."

…Maybe. It might've fallen on the floor and been lifted up by the vines. It's only now that it's high enough to be spotted. If it belonged to the guard, then it would come in handy while we're investigating. He was in charge of watching this building, after all.

"Let's check it out." I push my fingers into the vines "Ow!" I was careful, but the oddly sharp thorns still cut my skin. "Damn. This is a pain." I keep fighting with the vines. I finally reach the metal object. "Whew…Got it!" Looking it over and it's just as we thought. These keys definitely belonged to the guard.

"Those are employee keys. We should be able to get into every…" Mashita suddenly cuts off mid-sentence.

"What's wrong?"

"…Nothing, I just lost my train of thought all of a sudden. It slipped my mind is all... Let's keep investigating."

"…" I wonder if his starting to lose his memories…well, I look down at the keys in my hand. At least getting to some rooms will be easier now. I place the keys into my pocket then began to move forward. Last time Moe and I where here we didn't get a chance to explore the other rooms beside the staff room. So it'll probably be for the best to check each room and see if we find any more clues or something that'll be use full. I know there's a room next to us…but I want to look into the room that was before the Staff Room. Seems easier to start from there and work our way done.

Coming to the 1st grade room, I grab the handle and slide it open. Huh…guess this room wasn't lock. Convenient. The class room is a mess. Most of the floor is destroy and holes in the walls. Though there are a couple of desk and chairs left. I shine the light to the blackboard and notice that something is written on it. Though the words are nonsensical scribbles on the blackboard. So nothing useful there.

"Hey. I found something here."

I pointed my light over to where Mashita is standing at. He was squatting down next to one of the school desk, what's surprising is it doesn't look very weathered, and shuffling around in the holder.

"What did you find?" I asked walking up to him. Mashita pulled his hand out and stood back up. Looking in his hand is a "Plastic bottle?" There's nothing in the bottle.

"Might as well take it with you. Could be useful for something." Mashita handed me the bottle to which I put in my bag.

"Doesn't look like there's anything else in this room. Guess we check the next one over."

We head out of the room and walked back down to where we found the key on the ledge. As I reach out to grab the handle and pull it open, I was stop by the tug on the door.

It's lock.

I pulled out the School Keyring and unlock the door before going in. Much like the other room. This room is also a mess but with a few additions to it. Underneath the blackboard is a cubby with a water tank on top and a small bulletin board on the right of the blackboard.

"Hmm…" I walked over to the lone desk that was in the room and examine it. Just like the other desk it doesn't seem to be very damage by the weather, guess that goes to show how durable school desk are. I stick my hand inside and feel around. Something pokes my finger; I grab it and pull it out. "A…Wire Umbrella."

"That just looks like trash to me." Mashita commented.

Yeah, like the plastic bottle isn't trash and _you_ said it might be useful!

"But if you want it, then I'm not going to stop you from taking it."

I had to take a deep breath to stop myself from yelling at him. Honestly…if you think the bottle could be useful…then why think this umbrella is trash? I sigh putting the umbrella in the bag, at least its small enough to fit.

Next we check the cupboards but didn't find anything useful, standing up I looked over at the bulletin board. Most of the papers have been either destroyed or ripped off leaving only two behind.

The first one read: _Research: An Umbrella that Withstands a Typhoon_

_'When you open an umbrella in a typhoon, it will break because the wind's too strong. So first I tried to put holes in the umbrella. That way it wouldn't break in strong wind.'_

_Note: When using it, put a plastic sheet on it to transform it into an extra strong umbrella. The strengthened umbrella protects from thorns or branches blown by the wind._

"I guess that's how kids think." Mashita commented.

Geeze, he acts like he was never a kid himself.

"…What?"

"No, it's nothing."

I know a kid did the research, but it's still silly. I have an idea. The umbrella we found earlier might've been part of the display for this research. "Still though, what's the point?" I shrug, and stuff it in my bag. I see the nicely folded dark plastic sheet among the garbage.

**_"Their blood…denies him…"_**

Without conscious thought, I start speaking. "Blood…denies him…Does that mean to repel…with blood?"

"Hey, you've been mumbling to yourself."

"Give me a second…" I pop open the wire umbrella. Then I spread the plastic sheet over it. "…" Huh, just like it said in that research paper, you can create something like an umbrella. But it's not fastened on. It'd be impossible to carry it around like this. "So we'll have to hold it together to use it?" Thankfully, there are two of us here. One person to open the umbrella first, and one person to spread the sheet. If we manage a combo like that, then we can use the bloodstained sheet as an umbrella. "Sorry to make you wait."

"Do whatever you want. But you aren't really planning on using that as some kind of shield, are you?"

"I'm not sure…But I get the feeling that everything is here for a reason." I ignore a look of suspicion from Mashita by studying the flashlight in my hand. Next, I looked over at the other paper.

_Research: Plan to Strengthen Weeds_

_Plant grown in sunlight, so I used a mirror to see what would happen under lots of light._

_Result: When I put lots of light on it, the leaves turned white and it got sick._

_What I learned: Shining too much light on plants is bad for them too._

"…Do I have to say something?"

"No…"

"Then no comment."

I sigh before examining the paper, which looks like it's about to fall off. Doubt anyone would care if I tore it off and took it with me. I rip the research paper off the wall.

"That's property damage. It's against the law."

…No comment.

Just before we left, I decided to take a look at the aquarium. The glass is terribly stained, making it impossible to see inside. I hesitantly stick my hand in the tank. When I do…

"…"

My fingers touch something cold. There's some water left inside. "…It's just water."

For some reason, Mashita looks disappointed. "Of course…"

There's enough water left inside that I could scoop it up if I had a container…wait I have that bottle! I take the plastic bottle out and put it in the tank. It gurgles as it fills with water.

"What're you going to do with that?"

"Don't know yet…but it might come in handy."

"…" I could practically feel his judgmental stare.

Ignoring that. "Well…there doesn't seem to be anything else here, let's check out the other rooms."

"Yeah…"

The next room we came to was the 2nd grade classroom. Though despite this door also being unlock…there wasn't anything much in there besides a Holey Hard Hat. Don't know why that would be in there. The only thing I got was Mashita sarcasm thrown at me by thanking me for cleaning up the trash! That jerk! Sometimes I wonder if he really got fired by his damn sarcasm, then the accused sexually harassment.

After leaving the room, we are heading to the next one over. This will be the last room before we go up the stair where the mirror is at. And just like that one door down back in the other hallway, this one is lock too. Quickly unlocking the door then slide it open I move to step into the classroom… And suddenly there's a strong grip on my shoulder. I glance at the hallway out of the corner of my eye. I'm pretty sure Mashita was on my other side. No, even if he were on this side, he'd have no reason to grab me.

**Live or Die**

"C-Calm down… I'm just imagining things." My voice doesn't sound very convincing. "Don't panic… It's…an illusion. Calm down… Hold it together!"

An icy chill envelops my right side…

I turn to Mashita and open my mouth to tell him. When I do… I see a terrifying face in the darkness… Then… an outline lying in wait for me.

I squeeze my eyes shut and pray!

Just then…!

"Hey… What's wrong?"

With Mashita's voice, the figure vanishes. I find myself standing in front of the door.

**Survived**

**_Ding ding tick-tock tick-tock_**

**_The Mark burns scarlet…_**

**_Dawn  
Half an hour left until death closes in._**

"…You…Okay?" Mashita asked.

"Y-Yeah…" I shakily reply.

Mashita pick something off my left shoulder. "This..is…"

The hand I felt gripping my shoulder…was actually a rose thorn. But more importantly…

"Mashita… What's the matter? You're acting kinda…"

"Acting…kinda…what…? …"

Something's wrong. He's not acting normal.

…Amnesia.

My heart pangs with worry. Is Mashita spacing out because the Mark's curse has progressed? But I don't understand. I'm still the same, at least, as far as I know.

"Come one…"

"R-Right…"

Mashita shuffles forward like a zombie. Something is seriously wrong.

"This is bad…" Danger crept up on us so quickly. We're running out of time. His condition might get worse… "I'll figure something out…"

I walked into the room and notice Mashita is already looking around. I headed over to the bulletin board and examine those papers.

_Research: Plan to Destroy Weeds_

_Experiment: I poured different liquids on the weeds in my yard to see which was effective._

_Results: C **miso soup** and D **salt water** worked._

_Conclusion: Salt can destroy weeds._

_Dissolving salt in water first makes it easier for the plants to absorb and speeds the effect._

Despite these being a kid's research paper…some of this stuff might come in handy. I quickly took the paper off the wall then shove it into my bag, then examine the other paper.

_Research: Observing Office Ladies_

Um…just what where these kids projects again?

_There are 6 office ladies who ride my train. I observed them for 10 days. I learned popular colors are brown and pink. Everyone's hair is brown ad their mouths are pink._

…Again what where these projects again? And why did the teacher approve of this? Whatever…this sheet could still be useful. After shoving that paper in the bag I looked over to Mashita.

"Hey did you find anything?"

"No, nothing."

"I see."

I walked over to him but stop upon finding some white stuff on the ground next to a flipped over desk. I flicked my flashlight over to it. It's a coarse powder. I'm not really inclined to sticking it in my mouth to make sure, but it's probably salt. Wait…didn't that one paper mention salt water can kill plants…? If we have to fight Hanahiko this might come in handy. I dig in my bag and pulled out the bottle of water and fill it with powder.

**_"First purify with sea water…"_**

I hear that voice again…

Sea water… So, would that be…salt water then?

**_Ding ding tick-tock tick-tock_**

**_The mark is dyed a deep crimson…_**

**_Sunrise  
A few minutes left until death closes in._**

"?!" A loud noise suddenly rings out. "Ugh…" A terrible pain runs through my wrist. It feels like something biting into my bone.

"…"

"Mashita…? Hey… Are you listening?"

"Yeah… I can hear you…Ha… Hahaha…"

Great…his lost it. At least he's still replying to me. But the way he's acting is…

"We can't keep going like this…Move. Come on!" My shout rings through the building. I grab his arm and pulled him out of the room. The instant I step into the hallway…A strange, indescribable feeling hits me. Like a solid presence is closing in on me from deep within the darkness.

A rabbit appears out of nowhere. Wait…it's the same black rabbit Moe and I ran into! Then it runs down the hallway… I thought that was it, but it stops partway. It turns back, as if to see what we're doing.

"Wait… Wait up!" I grab Mashita's wrist and chase after it.

We chase after the rabbit and arrive at…The eastern staircase. We chase the rabbit, running up the eastern stairs partway up, I trip over something.

"What's this?" Moe's bag is on the staircase. Inside the bag is some random junk along with her school jacket. "What's this doing here?" but if it's here, that means… "Is Moe…in the school?" Then I remember that we were chasing the rabbit. "Where did…" I look around for the creature. Just then, red drops of something fall from above.

…It's scarlet rose petals.

I slowly raise my eyes up to the ceiling.

The instant I see that…I let out a groan. It's heavily weighted with both fear and relief. Moe is up there, hanging from rose vines.

"It's…her." Mashita points at her, strangely amused.

But she's not the only one up there. There's a corpse hiding in the vines, too. It looks like that guard.

Suddenly… The vines snap like the weight is too much, and Moe crashes painfully to the ground.

"Hey! Hang in there!"

"Ye…ah…"

I quickly glance over her to make sure she's not hurt. Her Mark is obvious. It's swollen, pulsing, and red like a large, dangerous-looking pomegranate. It looks like it's progressed a lot further than the Mark on my wrist.

"I see… So this is why…" Did she get desperate and come to the school to try to do something…? "So you didn't run away." In any case, I need to get some clothes on her. I take the jacket out of her bag and slide her arm into a sleeve. She's still pretty out of it, but she manages to get the rest on by herself.

"Huh…? Oh, it's you, miss… Why…?"

The Mark's progression must be affecting her just like Mashita. I doubt anything I say will make sense to her. And besides, right now…

_BAM_

"He's here… Ha ha ha… Hanahiko is…" Mashita laughs.

…I know. But what should I do…? What am I supposed to do?! There's nowhere to hide. I look at Moe and Mashita. Their eyes are unfocused.

We'll die here.

We'll all die here.

I'm the only one who might have a chance of overturning that fate.

_"Gaining the key and lifting the grudge is the only way to survive. You will be required to be callous to make use of the spirit's fear. The way to repel the spirit lies within its grudge."_

Mary's words echo in my head. I open my bag and look through everything I picked up throughout the school. Is one of these…the 'key'? But…it all looks like junk.

Garbage is all I have.

"Hanahiko…" When I first saw him in this mirror, he was just a monster. But now I feel like I know why he came to be. I'll just have to face him. Believe that I have the final key. "Believe…Trust in myself…" I grab Moe, and shake her shoulders, and yell. "Get it together! There's nowhere to hide! We have to go! Come with me! Hanahiko…" Moe makes a vague sound. But that's good enough. "We're going…to release him from his curse." We ran down the stairs into the hallway before coming to a stop upon seeing a figure in the distance.

Hanahiko is staring at Moe…

**"Hey… they aren't a grown up…Fine… Only big people die, 'kay?"**

A sound like slithering vines comes from Hanahiko's direction… The next thing I know… a small, sharp object grazes my face.

**"Tch… Missed…You won't be so lucky next time…"**

I get the feeling Hanahiko's planning to attack me from a distance. I need to do something to reach him from this far away…

Most likely if he keeps missing his shots he'll get closer…but what to block the thorns with…wait that research paper. Right, with Moe here that'll make it easier. Okay…Let's do this.

I pulled out the wire Umbrella, while Moe put the plastic sheet over it. I ready the cobbled together umbrella. This should be able to block the thorns.

**"What the heck is that…? That umbrella…is in my way…"** His cold voice rings out, sounding slightly angry. He fires another rose thorn. The thorns fire as fast bullets, but only bounce off the bloodstained sheet.

"Their blood…denies him…" So that's what it meant. The impact of the thorns causes the sheet to start to fall off the umbrella. If we don't put it back on we won't be able to protect ourselves.

Though…Hanahiko sways closer, as if the umbrella is irritating him…We might be able to do something if he comes a little closer. I quickly grab the plastic sheet and put it back on the umbrella and brace myself for another attack.

"(Just a little closer…)" I whispered putting the sheet back on again after his last attack.

Hanahiko comes up close…Countless vines wriggle in his oddly shaped head. They're like poisonous snakes about to strike their prey…

At this distance, the umbrella's pretty useless. It's obvious I'll be killed instantly if I don't do anything. This close distance is my only chance. Should I use an attack against spirits or an attack against plants…? Is there a way I can fight back? I dug my hand in the bag and quickly unscrew the lid to the bottle before throwing it at Hanahiko.

Here's hoping the research paper is right!

The vines hit with the salt water quickly stop moving. In the hazy darkness I can see Hanahiko's face twisting in pain.

**"How mean…Are you going to…tease me no, too…miss?"** He starts sniffling, as if he's about to cry. He looks weakened.

I put the lipstick on Hanahiko's lips…

"What…did you do?"

I don't know why…but I have a hunch. Hopefully I'm right and it won't bite me in the ass for this. I pulled out the round hand Mirror and show it Hanahiko to make him look at the lipstick.

He stares at his reflection…

"This is…**red stuff**… I've been looking for this…for so long. My keepsake from my mom…"

Are these memories from when he was alive? He smiles with his red lips.

"Am I…pretty…? Hahaha!" The spirit melts into the darkness with a smile on his face.

I don't sense Hanahiko anymore.

"…Did we…win? Seriously?" Moe asked.

"Yeah…" I nod.

Kinda hard to believe, but looks like we did.

"Miss! My Mark disappeared!" Moe cheers as she studies her leg. Her Mark had been burned into her right thigh. "Oh! What about yours?"

Oh yeah, my right hand…It's still there. My Mark looks exactly the same as before. Why…? Why isn't it going away?

"Sorry, miss…"

It's almost dawn. Am I…going to die?

"So this is where you've been. My head suddenly stopped feeling fuzzy, and then my Mark was gone. Look like you did it." Mashita said coming down the hallway.

"Yeah…But she still has her mark."

"…Let's head back. Maybe Mary knows something." Mashita said. Strangely he looks piss for whatever reason. Probably because I still have the Mark.

"Yeah, you're right." Moe nods. "Come on, miss! Let's go!" Moe leads me away.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"…Huh?" Moe is digging through her bag. "Oh no. My wallet's missing. Maybe I dropped it earlier." Her glance back at the school is confused. "B-But…you're definitely more important right now. We gotta hurry and get back…"

I let out a deep sigh while scratching my head "…Go on."

"Huh?"

"Just make sure you're back in five minutes. Go. Get moving."

"R-Right! Thanks!" Moe rushes back into the school.

"You're pretty calm, considering."

Moe shrinks in the distance until they disappear inside the building. A bitingly cold wind whips past me…It's coming from the school. That's not normal, especially for the start of summer.

The wind dies down, and out of nowhere I get a really bad feeling… Should I have let Moe go back inside?

…

…Five minutes pass. Moe isn't back yet.

"Idiot! This is no time to dawdle!"

"…We better check."

I step inside and go down the right hallway. I make it all the way in front of the room where we fought Hanahiko, but… I don't see Moe anywhere. Strange. This should be the place…

"…M-Miss? You scared the crap out of me…What are you doing here?" Moe came out from the darkness.

"You're late. So I came looking for you."

"Oh! I'm so sorry! It's dark, so it took longer." Moe apologize "I should've borrowed the flashlight." She bows in apology.

I'm so relieved. A huge weight lifts off my shoulders when I see she's okay.

"Hey! Let's get a move on already!" Mashita said turning back around and head out. Following behind him we all climb into the car and head straight to Kujou Mansion.

* * *

"Welcome back! My Mark's gone, so that must mean you beat Hanahiko, right? Miss Moe seems to be okay, too. You're pretty amazing." Tsukasa greeted us back but paused "…Huh? What's wrong? You're not smiling."

"Well…" Moe started with a winch. "Her Mark hasn't disappeared."

"What…? Wh-Why not?"

"Hey, Yashiki." I turn towards Mashita "I'll fill the pipsqueak in. You go hear what Mary has to say."

"Alright." I nod then headed over to Mary.

"Welcome back, Lady Yashiki." Mary greeted "It appears that you overcame your fear and cleared away the grudge. Congratulations are in order." Her tone is the same as always, but for some reason it grates on me.

"What's so great about it? Why hasn't my Mark vanished?!"

"It is likely the one who gave it…was not Hanahiko."

I'm suddenly light-headed, the world fading. I'd risked my life during that investigation. And it was completely useless to me. I guess all that's left is…waiting for dawn, and my death.

"…Lady Yashiki. If it is all right with you, would you mind showing me your Mark?" I hold my arm out toward Mary. Her neck shifts slightly as she stares at the Mark. "…It is as I thought. It is only a miniscule fraction… but the fate I sense from this Mark has been distorted."

"What does that mean?" Is it because I beat Hanahiko…?

"The flame of your life was indeed fading at one point. But it has now become brighter."

"Are you saying…I'm not going to die at dawn?"

"That is correct."

"…" My sigh of relief is so deep it feels like my soul is escaping my body. The Mark's still burned on me… But it seems I'll be okay, for now.

"It appears the Mark you bear is different from the ones I know of. But there is no doubt that it was given to you by a spirit."

"Then…There are other spirits like Hanahiko that give people Marks?"

"Yes. Spirits born of grudges have an insatiable hatred for the living. This persistent hatred is not sated by simply killing the living…Rather they drag their victims to the depths of despair before their death. That is what they desire. The Mark is an effective method."

Spirits who wish to terrorize the living…The more I hear, the less I understand.

"It appears **something** within H City can easily create such spirit. Though I could not say what it is."

"So, for me to escape my Mark…I need to find the spirit that gave it to me and take care of it, then?"

"Yes. It is logical to believe the Mark will disappear with the spirit. That is the only way to escape death and regain your memories. It will soon be dawn. I am sure that you are all tired. Please rest. You are free to use any room."

"Thank you SO much. Seriously. If you hadn't been there, I probably would've been killed by Hanahiko. But…When I think about you still having your Mark, it's hard to be happy. Well, I'm going to bed. Good night." Moe heads up the stairs.

"You did great work today. You're much more competent than all the other adults I know. Though it only makes sense for adults to help children. It will be challenging from now on. My schoolwork has suffered due to my memory loss. I need to study hard to catch up. You do your best, too. Well then, good night."

"Think I'm heading off myself. With that mess of trouble taken care of, I'm sure I'll crash right away." Mashita was about to head off but paused and turn back around "Oh right, here. Have this." He pulls a small paper item from his beat up coat and hands it to me. It looks like a newspaper article. "It's about that boy who died. Before he was adopted, he'd lived with his mother. She understood her son, unlike his hard-headed adoptive father. She'd put makeup on him in front of a mirror. She very much doted on him. After all that hell at a young age, then dying, that…Was probably his only good memory." Mashita's smile is sad. "Well, it's up to you how you interpret it. Do whatever you want. See ya."

"Lady Yashiki, there is something I must tell only you. About those who lost their Marks… They must leave in the morning. Those who escape their fate should return to their daily lives. That is the will of Lady Saya."

So I'll be the only one left behind… I feel like a student repeating a grade.

"Lady Yashiki, by any chance…Are you uneasy about being the solo occupant in the mansion?"

"…Honestly, I kind of am…"

"Is that so?" Mary stares unblinkingly at me. I could just be extrapolating it, but it seems like she's thing about something. "Now then, Lady Yashiki…It would be for the best that you take your rest as well. Please find me when you are ready. Farewell."

Hmm…I should check over the stuff I have written down and look over the news article…but, I'm really tired…I'll ready it in the morning when I'm well rested.

"Are you retiring to bed?" Mary asked.

"Yeah." I nod

Mary nods her head "Good night…"

"Yeah…thanks." I said before heading up the stairs myself. It's been a very long night…


	3. Chapter 1 Hanahiko Notes

**_*Rumors of the Mark_**

_Strange rumors in H City say 'those who bear the Mark will die'. A strange scar appears on your body suddenly. It's caused by curses or unexpected contact with ghosts, and it's said it heralds your upcoming death. I soon find that I have the same scar on my arm. That's not all…_

**_*Kujou Mansion_**

_I blanked out for some reason after I noticed the scar. The next I know, I'm in front of a strange building called Kujou Mansion. There I find the corpse of a victim of the Mark, one Saya Kujou, as well as a talking doll. Two more Mark Bearers are added to our number, and we decide to uncover the cause of the Mark. To do that, we'll investigate a ghost story…_

**_*Rumors of Hanahiko_**

_A ghost story whispered throughout H City's schools say that when you look into a specific mirror, a strange child appears. The rumors say you must never answer 'yes' to Hanahiko's question. And for some reason, he hates adults. To find out if the rumors are true, we head to the abandoned school where Moe received her Mark…_

**_*Black Rabbit_**

_A mysterious black rabbit appeared in front of us out of nowhere. It's funny, but we've encountered so many strange things already, that an odd bunny doesn't faze me at all. Though this paralyzing dread might be a bit concerning. Anyway, first we have to find that mirror…_

**_*Hanahiko- The Boy in the Mirror_**

_Like the rumors said, a ghostly boy appeared. We answered some of his questions, then the mirror broke and he vanished. 'No more big people here,' he said, like he was chasing something, and then we heard a horrible scream. It came from the opposite end of the school. It sounded familiar…_

_The mysteries didn't end there. I heard a whisper in my ear that said, 'Purify with red.' What was the eerie voice? Maybe everything that's going on is making me go crazy. Regardless, first we need to find the cause of the scream._

**_*Plantified Guard_**

_The guard we met at the school gate was the one who screamed. He burst out of the staff room covered in growing plants of all things, and the pain was driving him mad. Did a spirit do this? It must've been Hanahiko… Which means inside the staff room is… But we have to keep going…_

**_*Secret of the Underground Room_**

_Chased by Hanahiko, we fled into the underground room to find several skeletons wrapped in rose vines. A spirit of one of the victims showed me a vision of the past. A disgusting image of a woman dying, entangled in roses. She was likely one of Hanahiko's victims, just like that guard._

_Even more surprising, a guy named Mashita was hiding in there. The ex-detective explained all of the victims were staff at the school or their family. Why did they have to die such a cursed death? What's concerning is a notebook Mashita found in the room. It claimed that some kind of tutoring was going on in there…_

_The tutor was the principal and the pupil his adopted son. The delicate boy loved to dress up in skirts. Under the pretense of correcting bad habits, numerous twisted actions were performed on the boy in that room. He grew weaker and weaker. His teachers should've noticed. So were they just pretending ignorance…?_

_Roses cover the underground room and the school. The thorn that shot like a bullet at Mashita. If the boy in the notebook turned into a monster, is there a way to repel a spirit with a grudge like that? And that voice rang out in my head again. What did it mean by 'Their blood…denies him…?'_

**_*Continued Investigation of the School_**

_We found a ring of keys that we think the guard dropped. Now we can investigate the classrooms that were locked. Before we left Mary, she said it's impossible to kill the dead. We'll have to just do everything in our power to find information on the keys or ways to repel the spirit before dawn comes…_

**_*Bloodstained Umbrella_**

_The 'wire umbrella' used for a student's research, and the 'plastic sheet' dyed black from the corpses' blood. There's no point to using it as an umbrella, but if one person opens it, another could cover it with the sheet. The blood of the dead… In other words, something that's close to the spirit. If we use it against him, it may work. Like a shield of blood._

**_*Last Stand_**

_Time simply passes while we have no clue where Moe is. My partner's acting strange, too. Like his memories are deteriorating. Why does it feel like death is closing in? We've nowhere to run. My only choice is to face the spirit using the information and tools I've gathered. And…_

_Is my partner for the showdown okay with that? Plus, how am I going to deal with the threat of the thorn? I've heard so many riddles, but I don't know what they mean. And the latest whisper—'Purify with sea water first.' What's that about? I guess I'll have to do that before anything else. I have to think this through in order to survive…_

**_*Mashita's Collection of Articles_**

_199x ?/? The principal of H Elementary, Mr. A, reported to local police that his son, age 9, was missing. The police organized a huge search, even into the forest by H Castle, but were unable to locate him. Mr. A was famous for helping out at the orphanage, and his missing son was adopted from there._

**_*Public Information on the Missing Person's Case_**

_The boy's physical characteristics are: Height 3'2", small and slender. Has short hair and was wearing a white shirt and navy shorts when he went missing. Often mistaken for a girl. Usually seen playing with girls and enjoys wearing makeup. Always carries toy makeup with him in his pouch._

**_*Post-Incident Gossip Article_**

_Mr. A, the lost child's father, has resigned from his post as principal of H Elementary and is moving out of H City. A man of importance in the area, he's been plagued with slander that has affected his family. Some rumors claim he is a pedophile or question his sexuality. These horrible accusations ignore his human rights._

**_*An Article on the Boy's Background_**

_After the missing boy's mother passed away, he was placed in an orphanage, having no other family. The two were extremely close. A neighbor shares: One day the boy wore his mother's makeup to show his friends only to be teased and bullied by them. His mother rushed up with her mirror, had him look in it, and told him he was cute._

**_*Other Articles Related to the Disappearance_**

_Many people disappeared between when the boy went missing and the school close. Among them are the boy's homeroom teacher and that woman I saw in the underground room. There's a theory that he may have sought help from adults while he was being abused, with no success. After death, his angry despair created Hanahiko, the spirit that attacks adults. _

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

Snapping the book shut, I let out a sigh sitting up on the bed. After going over everything in my notebook I can't help but think back on Hanahiko and his past. "I hope he's happy now…" I mutter putting the book on the desk. Standing up I took my jacket and shoes off and undid my tie, putting the items away I crawled into bed after turning the light off and went to sleep.

"I hope Mary's right about my death being delayed…" I sigh closing my eyes "Guess I'll find out if I wake up then…"

* * *

An hour must have gone by when the door to Karin Yashiki room cracks open and the familiar head of the ex-detective pokes in.

Despite everyone having gone to bed, Mashita still couldn't go to sleep with his mind still going over everything that happen last night and his memories coming back. After a while he had giving up on getting any sleep anytime soon, so he decided to check on the others if they had gone to bed.

Call him an ass if you want, but he still does care about the others. He just has a funny way of showing it.

After checking on the kids, he headed down to Yashiki's room and check in on her. Upon finding the room she is staying in, he saw her sleeping in the bed out cold. Nodding to himself seeing that everyone was doing okay, he was about to leave when he spotted the familiar mark on Yashiki's wrist. He frowned at it and slowly crept into the room, making sure not to make any noise, and approach next to the bed to examine the mark better.

To say that he is upset that Yashiki still has her mark would be an understatement, not to mention he had overheard the conversation between her and Mary about the others will have to leave in the morning. Honestly, he doesn't feel comfortable leaving Yashiki by herself. The girl can barely remember her real name or anything about her at all. Having no leads on who or what that gave her the Mark, her only option is to wait here and hope that something comes up or…wait till the Mark takes her life.

He let out a frustrated sigh, back at the school when he was starting to lose it, he still remembers just about everything. When Yashiki yelled at him and dragging him out of the classroom, to her grabbing his hand to chase after that rabbit… He still wonders why she didn't leave him behind when he couldn't even help them and became a burden. That hole time if felt like he was watching the whole thing play out like a movie in his head. Being aware of everything yet not having control of your own body. He didn't like that feeling one bit.

Giving the Mark and the sleeping Yashiki one last glance he quietly left the room and began to make his way down to the main floor. As he made his way down the stairs, he caught site of Mary still sitting on the couch her glass like eyes staring into nothing. Honestly it creep him out a little, but he guess that as a doll, one does not need to sleep.

"You're still up, Lord Mashita?" Her calm voice filled the empty house, minus the ticking from the clock on the upper floor.

"…"

"It looks like something is bothering you, Lord Mashita. Would you like to talk about it?"

"…Is there a reason for the former Mark Bearers to leave the mansion? What is it too many freeloaders? Don't want them to hang around anymore?"

"So it was you, who stayed behind and listen over our conversations." Mary stated but Mashita stayed silent. If it was possible, Mashita was pretty sure Mary wanted to sigh at that moment. "It was the wish of my late master Lady Saya for the mark bearers to return to their previous lives before they were cursed."

Mashita scoff "And what…? Leave Yashiki by herself? In case you have forgotten _doll_, but the girl doesn't remember anything. Leaving her alone in that condition is _not _a good idea."

"…" Mary goes silent for a moment "It is true…that Lady Yashiki will be in trouble with her current condition. However if you stay behind you have the risk of being remark by a spirit, will you be fine with that?"

"…" He forgot about that part to be honest. The danger he could be in, if he did go back out with Yashiki to deal with the supernatural. However… "If it comes to that, I'll think of something. I just don't have the heart to leave behind an amnesia person to their selves if there is a way that I could help them out. Her case could get worse and then she wouldn't even remember what she was doing in the first place. I don't think I can stand that thought."

"…I see…so even if I had asked you to leave…you would stay behind and ignore my late master wishes then?" Mashita nodded his head. Mary slowly nods her head "Very well then. When I was speaking to Lady Yashiki and ask her if she would be uncomfortable by being by herself, she said she would be fine if not a bit uneasy. If you staying behind will help her a bit…then I shall allow it. Just remember my warning from before."

"Yeah." Mashita nodded then turn around to make his way upstairs, but stop halfway up.

"Is there something else, Lord Mashita?"

"…If possible, could you keep quiet about our conversation? I don't want Yashiki to think I'm going soft on her."

His pretty sure that Mary would raise her eyebrow if she could. "Very well, I'll keep the conversation a secret and tell her that I ask you to stay behind."

"Good." With that Mashita headed to his room feeling a bit better than before. Maybe now he'll get some sleep.


	4. Chapter 2 Shimi-O

Another night greets me.

It's been three days since the investigation. And not one glimmer of hope for me. Time idles by as death draws ever closer to claim me.

The Mark that brings death…

The only way to escape it is to defeat the spirit that gave it to me. But I have no clue where that spirit is right now. Maybe things would be different if that specialist, Saya Kujou, was alive.

_Knock knock_

A knock breaks my train of thought.

"How long you planning on sleeping? You're pretty relaxed for a guy who could die soon."

The ex-detective, Satoru Mashita… The other Mark Bearers left the mansion, but he stayed behind.

Mary was the cause.

I guess she asked him to help as he was leaving. She went against Saya Kujou's wishes by doing that, but it seems it was for my sake. But I don't know about Mashita. Even if he was asked to stay, he has no reason to agree.

"What's that look…? Not happy I stayed behind?"

"No… I am grateful that you stay."

"Cut that out. It's creepy. Flatter me all you want, but I won't forget you drove without a license."

Ack! Jerk! In case you have for gotten the girl-without-her-license saved your damn life! I take back what I said; I would have preferred the other two then him! Even after all this time together he still has a bad mouth!

*Sigh* His true intentions aside…I am grateful for his help. My amnesia could hit without warning, so I can't go out whenever I want. He's been going around gathering information in my place.

So, ass or not, I'm happy he stay behind to help me out.

"I saw some people from the force…" Mashita began to speak "Still no ruckus over H Elementary."

"But wait a second…That guard went missing. His company should be notified…"

"That company is exactly the issue. It's run by yakuza thugs who have their eyes on the Labor Department. They don't want the police involved. Plus, in a shitty company like that people up and walk out all the time." He explained "…Yamashita. That was his name. Everyone thinks he up and split. I hear that's why they're having a hard time finding a replacement."

If you didn't know the school was haunted, it'd just be another abandoned building. The government wouldn't need to rush to find a new guard.

"The man lived alone, so a missing person's report won't be filed soon. The school most likely won't come under suspicion until then. That's it for my report."

He covered a lot of ground in a short time. Ex-detectives sure are handy.

"Did you bring up the Mark or spirits when you were asking around?" I asked.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Mashita snapped with a raise brow "They'd be calling the looney bin. Even if the kids or I did bring them up, who'd honestly believe us? Why waste my breath." Exasperated, he shrugs. Well, then. "Searching the mansion was on you. So did you find anything?"

"I came up blank as well." I admitted with a sigh. "Though I've only gone through half so far. And some of the rooms were locked."

"Stuck without a warrant."

_'Like you'd wait for something like that.'_ I swallow the words before they come out.

"Oh yeah, Mary's asking for you. You should get going." Mashita informed.

"Oh…Okay then." I stood up from the couch and headed out of the room followed by Mashita. Going down the stairs, I went over to where Mary sat…I wonder if she wants to be moved to different locations at times? I don't know much about living as a doll…but staring at the same spot would be tiring and boring.

"I have been waiting for you." Mary spoke. "It appears you are having a difficult time with your investigation. I do wish I could be of more use to you."

"I know you can sense Mark Bearers." I said "Can you sense spirits, too?" I have been wondering about that. If we have a Mark left by spirits and Mary could sense those who have the Mark is it also possible for her to sense spirits as well?

"…If they were to come onto the grounds, I believe I could, yes."

That doesn't sound particularly useful.

"Do you have any other abilities or power?"

"Indeed. I can view the vague shape of the course of a person's fate."

"Like predicting the future?" I asked raising a brow.

"Oh no, nothing quite so extreme. It is more akin to fortune telling. It may, or may not, come to pass."

"…I get it." Mashita spoke up "That's why what you predicted earlier didn't actually happen."

"Did Mary tell you something?"

"'The truth you're seeking can be found here' or some such. Like a fool, I fell for it. So convinced. I'm such an idiot."

_Knock knock knock_

A loud knock sounds at the door.

A visitor in the dead of night…

A Mark Bearer?

I open the door, and the visitor strides in. It's a shady looking young man in a uniform delinquents these days tend to wear. He smirks at me, clearly feeling superior.

"This place Kujou Mansion?" He asked. "I got business with some Saya chick. No way you're her, huh." He narrows his eyes, staring suspiciously. Tell me…how much trouble will I be in if I punch him in the face with an ex-detective in the room?

I turn to Mashita with a raise brow. He caught my look before letting out a loud scoff "Oh no, don't hand this off to me. I'm horrible with kids. They never dared put me in charge of juvy."

Way to be helpful Mashita…

The kid let out a sigh "Look I don't care which one of you it is, but wouldja hear me out?"

* * *

Introductions are quickly done. His name's Shou Nagashima. And as we'd guessed, he's got a Mark. He rolls up his right sleeve to show us. And yup, the Mark is burned in.

"An occult freak friend said somethin'. Like it gives you amnesia. For real?"

"Yeah, that's right." I nod. "I can't even remember my real name."

"You're kinda too calm for that. Bet you're pulling a fast one on me."

That grates, but that reaction's normal. But if he's not going to believe the rumors, then he had no reason to come. So...why is he here then?

"Haha, rumors are just that." Shou laughed. "Amnesia or dying cuz of some Mark? That's comic book craziness."

"…Every word of it is true."

"?!" Shou yelps frantically looking around by the new voice. "W-Was that a girl's voice?!"

Mashita and I looked over at Mary.

"There is a saying: The truth is stranger than fiction. They are two sides of the same coin." Mary begins explaining. I'm sure she figured it would be the fastest way to convince him.

"You got some damn speaker set up somewhere, don'tcha?" Shou growled at us. "I don't take kindly to threats." He peers closely at Mary…

"Such a mechanism does not exist, Lord Shou."

". . . N-N-N-N-N-N-N-N-NO WAY?!" He yelps pathetically, his eyes wide, and suddenly falls flat on his ass. If asked, I won't deny the laughter the escaped from my lips even when Mashita elbow me in the sides to keep quite despite the smirk that was on his face. Admit it Mashita, you thought it was funny too. Anyway, it seems that despite appearances, this punk is terrified of ghosts and monsters. His tough act is likely a cover.

After that, he meekly pays full attention to Mary as she speaks. He listens quietly, his face pale, as she tells him about the Mark and spirits. By the time she finishes explaining, his face is devoid of color.

"Now, Lord Shou…Have you not already experienced the beginnings of memory loss?"

"Y-Yeah…"

I don't think he's used to Mary yet. His face is rather stiff.

"My memory's always been crap, so I thought I was imagining things. But then it started getting so bad that it was just ridiculous. I got this occult friend, yeah? Told him about my scar. The Mark? And he scared the shit out of me. Showed me an article that said it was all that scar thing's fault. So now I'm here."

Moe mentioned seeing an article by Saya Kujou in a magazine, too.

"It's all cuz of some monster… The hell… This is crazy. Why'd this hafta happen to me…?" Shou complained not that I blame him.

"Not believing it is normal." Mashita spoke up. "But if you don't, you'll die. If you don't want to kick the bucket, figure out how you got the Mark. Even if your memory's gone bad, you should at least remember that."

"I'm not that far gone, thanks." Shou retorted "I'm positive I got it in the forest by H Castle. I know I did. I mean, it does have a rumor about the place being cursed, so…" He shrugs his shoulders.

…We should probably ask him some more about it. I glance over at Mashita and he nods his head at me.

"Forest?" I asked.

"The huge forest west of the city." Shou said "Wait, doesn't everyone know that? Even kids do."

"…" I pointed to my head while frowning at him.

Shou winched "Oh…right…sorry." He coughed in his hand before continuing speaking "The place is the city's garbage dump. Bunch of nasty rumors about it. There's illegal industrial waste dumping there, like, all the time."

"It's not just 'objects' either." Mashita said. "They say a black car once dumped a young woman's body there… A new mother strangled her kid there because she couldn't take care of it. There's tons more rumors like that, whether or not any of them are true."

"I heard some of those, too. Like the lost kid who was eaten by a dog and they only found his torso. Or that a murderer hides out there and kills anyone who gets near."

The two of them happily exchange stories. Apparently, while he hates ghosts, he's more than fine with this kind of stuff.

"I've hit up the edge of the forest a few times, but never walked in. No one with half a brain goes there."

Hmm, okay then…what should I ask next? "Why were you there?"

"I was obviously on my bike, man. Place is totally empty at night, so it's perfect for driving around. Ridin' around, free as a bird, helps me clear my mind." He glances of at Mashita "…Before you ask, yes I have my license. And no illegal mods."

"Ha. Is that so." Mashita snorts "We don't need another person flaunting the law. One is enough."

I smile wryly. Who would've thought this kid would be on the straight and narrow.

"That day, I was clearing my head when my bike broke down. I stopped to check it out…Then suddenly I've got this scar."

"The forest is cursed?" I question.

Shou stiffens like a board. "I hate that supernatural crap… Just talkin' about it freaks me out."

"What a wimp." Mashita commented. "Rumors exist for a reason. That place is a famous suicide spot. Fifty people die there a year, so they say, and that's just what they find. Once there was a mass suicide. It has its fair share of grisly history."

That many deaths? Looks like finding the cause of the curse could be hard if a lot of people die there.

"…" Shou's eyes are wide. He looks like he swallowed a bug. I doubt we'll get any more out of Shou.

"No info on the spirit, then." Mashita sighs before giving Shou a pointed look "You haven't forgotten anything? No keeping secrets, now."

"Quit strong-arming me." Shou snaps "Hold your horses, I'm thinkin'…"

He's complaining, but I can see he really is combing through his memories.

"There was something…It wasn't a ghost or nothing, but I did spot something weird. Over by the side of the road… I saw this huge man."

**(A/N okay…normally I don't put these here but…when I first played this game and saw that line. The first thing that came to my mind was 'Slenderman'. I mean a huge forest and a huge man…all Shou needs to say that there were papers on the tree too and we'll be hunting down Slenderman in Japan! *Ahem* Back to the story now. My apologizes for the interruption…)**

A giant?

"It wasn't just some tree's shadow?" I asked.

"Honestly, I'm not real sure. The place was pretty dark, and I only saw it for a second."

It sounds pretty iffy. Is that info really reliable?

"May I interject?" Mary spoke up after listening to the conversation "In truth, there are a number of supernatural rumors set there. One happens to corroborate Lord Shou's story. The rumor of Shimi-O."

It sounds like Mary has an idea.

"Could you tell us more about it?"

"Of course, Lady Yashiki."

I shall tell you the story…

Of Shimi-O, the man of the forest.

* * *

_"Hey, have you heard that rumor? That one about the weird giant man. He's covered in black splotches. So people call him Shimi-O, the spotted man of the forest. I've heard he ask everyone he meets a question._

**_Do-you-like-bees?_**

_"A college student who heard the rumor decided to go to the forest to see. And a man covered in splotches really did appear."_

**_Do-you-like-bees?_**

_"The student laughed. 'Yeah, sure, I like the.' And then…"_

**_Let's-raise-some-then_**

**_In-your-body_**

* * *

"Shimi-O asks those he meets a single question…Then kills them using his drill. That might be none other than the figure you saw, Lord Shou. However, I have no proof."

"Then we'll have to gather evidence." Mashita said then looks over to me "Let's get ourselves to the forest. Investigations require legwork"

"Yeah." I nod "It'll be good to get out of this mansion and stretch a little. Let me go grab my bag and I'll be ready to go."

There is no hesitation in Mashita. After facing Hanahiko, he knows full well what spirits are capable of. Is this his training and experience as a police detective?

"Hey now… You serious…? Goin' there in the middle of the night? You guys have totally lost it."

I looked at him with a raise brow "You scared or something?"

"What'd you?! I ain't no scaredy cat! Hey, lady! Take me with you instead of him! If that huge guy really is some monster, I'll pound him to dust!"

…He's easy to manipulate. Though…I don't think I can trust him to fully watch my back if I did take him along. No doubt that if we stumble upon something or Shimi-O himself, the kid might probably freak. At least with Moe, she'll be more prepared as she knew what to expect when we first went to go find Hanahiko. This kid though…

"You've settled on a destination." Mary said "Please head to the forest by H Castle once you are ready. Your first goal is to identify the spirit that bestowed the Mark. Best wishes for your investigation."

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

Mashita sits in the passenger seat and makes no attempt at conversation. The first time he was in the car, I found I was cautious of his every movement. But now I feel strangely relaxed around him. I guess human's aren't actually scared of others, just the parts of other people that they don't know.

It's fascinating stuff.

"What're you grinning at? It's pretty creep."

"Oh… Sorry…"

Though, I'll admit I don't really understand him. He's self-righteous to a fault. Yet he stayed behind at the mansion for me.

"I told you my reason earlier. I won't say it again."

"I haven't said a word."

"May as well have. It's written all over your face."

He's really sharp. People who are adept at obscuring their intentions would be good at reading other people's mind.

"If I could just add one thing…It's probably wise to have someone along who doesn't have the Mark. You tend to lose your cool when you're being targeted. Then nothing will ever get solved."

"I see…"

That makes a certain amount of sense. When I remember the final moments at H Elementary, my hands start to sweat. There's no proof that I'll be able to remain calm during the next crisis.

"I'm definitely grateful for your help, but…" If we encounter a spirit again… We'll need someone to overcome that crisis. So that's his reason for coming along?

"I guess that's just the kind of people detectives are."

Huh…?

"We love searching for things. Sniffing every nook and cranny to uncover that which is hidden…That's our one skill. Aha ha ha…" Mashita's dry laugh fills the car.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

We arrive at the forest by H Castle. I stop the car near where Shoe says he saw the man, and we enter the forest. All the guideposts on the path are faded, their paint peeling off. It looks hardly traversed, just as Shou and Mashita said.

We walk a while until we come to a large arch marking the start of the hiking trail. It's rusted over, and with the peeling paint it doesn't seem to have been touched up. The letters have faded and are mostly illegible. Carefully reading it, it says…

Welco**m**e to the…

…l**u**sh and…**r**omantic…

…woo**d** timb**er**land…

"m…u…r…d…e…r, huh?"

I'm sure Mashita heard me, but I guess they're completely ignoring me.

"Hm. More overgrown than I thought. There's a lot of ground we have to cover. Let's get a move on."

We pass under the arch and enter the forest. We continue down the path a short while before we come across something unexpected. It's a grave marker. It was probably put there to honor those who commit suicide here. Might not be a bad idea to say a quick prayer for those who ended their suffering that way.

When shining the flashlight one the marker, I noticed something's writing in the magic marker.

**_Say the opposite of the truth!  
You'll…be…followed!_**

"Huh. Okay. This certainly feels like a place that's famous for suicides." Mashita pipes up.

Just off to the side… I notice a faint trail.

"A beast trail, huh? We'll need to look down there, too."

"Right." I nod then headed down the path.

The moonlight doesn't reach the beast trail that branches off the hiking trail, so we're in gloom. The trees are thick on both sides. We'd get lost if I didn't have a flashlight.

Just then…

_Shuffle crunch crunch_

There are footsteps close by… From the bushes…

Mashita stops me with his arm. "…Someone's here."

I hear footsteps again. They seem to be getting closer. Then…

"Wh-What…?!" A man appears from the bushes. He looks horribly exhausted. "Don't startle me like that… You shouldn't stand around in the dark. What're you doing…?"

The man falls silent. I think he realized he already knows the answer. Mashita did say this place is a famous spot for suicide.

"I just…can't do it anymore. I work myself to the bone at a job I don't even want…And you just bring another man home? How dare you… The nerve!" He holds his head in his hands. He suddenly starts kicking a tree and yelling.

"Fuck…Fuck!"

A rapid stream of swear words flows out of his mouth. He seems to be the type that goes crazy when he's upset.

"Hey, could you tell me? How much nerve do you have to have to do that?! Huh?!"

**_"Stop him… Death…invites death…"_**

I hear that voice again.

Stop him…? Does that mean I should dissuade him?

"If you've got something to say just spit it out, you bastard!"

**Live or Die**

It would be bad if he went berserk here. I'll just have to hear him out. But it seems the man misinterprets my silence.

"Oh…Do you feel the same way? Of course you do. You're here in this forest, after all. Huff…huff… What…did she think I was doing? Worked myself sick, but stuck with in anyway, and for who's sake…? I even bought her a purse on our anniversary last year. Dammit…Dammit! Then she goes and sees another man!"

The man curses the darkness. He's completely lost it. I should probably avoid any tactless interjections or flattery.

"Hey, you there. Was it me? What'd you think? Clear this up for me. Did I do something wrong?"

"Someone's here." I told him.

"Wh-What…?!" The man's gaze darts around nervously. Then he mutters quietly. "C-Could it be that creepy guy…?" He checks around, on full alert. Satisfied that no one's there, he resumes speaking. "I'm sure she'd just laugh if she heard I was dead. Hanging off her asshole lover… … *Sigh*… But when I think about it… you know, it's strange? Why do I have to make her happy when it causes me such pain? It's ridiculous… I'm done with it! No way am I gonna die for an idiot like that. That's right. I'm sure I can still…"

The man looks down at his feet, then glances up at me.

"We could still start over fresh, right?"

"It's impossible." I stated.

"… …Yeah. I agree. I've lived this long. It's too late for me. I'll die sometime soon, even if it's not tonight. I'll endure it until then."

**Survived**

"I don't know what you've been through…But you should rethink it. Honestly though, you look like you'll be fine." His expression changes, as if he's remembered something. "I saw a strange man while I was wandering around out here. His body was covered with black splotches. You think he's sick? He kept staring at me. It was creepy. ...If you're heading back, be careful."

A man covered in splotches…Mary brought up some rumors about a man like that.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. The name's Masao Kimura. If we ever meet again…" The man scratches his head and smiles a bit. "Let me buy you a drink or something. Well, see you."

We don't talk long with Masao Kimura before he leaves.

"Heh. Typical failure in society. He fits right in this forest."

"…" I sigh rubbing my head. Well…at least we stop a man from commenting suicide, let's return to our investigation then. As we continued forward we come across a cottage. And as we approach it…"What the…" I blinked. I could be seeing things…but I could have sworn there was light in that building. "Hey, Mashita did you…"

"Yeah." Mashita nods "I saw that too." We both glance at each other than nod "Let's proceed with caution. It could be another person attempted to comment suicide."

I nod as we made our way over. "Is it almost wrong for me to hope that's the case, and not something else at work?"

"No."

I go to open the door and my hand gets coated with a sticky liquid. It smells sweet. Is this honey? Why would there be honey on a doorknob? Mystified and a little weary from before, I slowly open the door and step inside the cottage.

"…" A shadow falls over Mashita's face. It's the same for me. Something's felt off ever since we came inside. Why do I feel so strange…? I immediately realize why.

"It's too clean…" I mutter looking around the cottage.

"Yeah, it's unnatural. It's like someone's been cleaning it. It doesn't look abandoned at all."

It could be that someone's living here. But I don't bother voicing that thought.

"Someone might be stopping by here. If we're going to investigate, we better hurry."

"You're right." I immediately start shining my flashlight on places of interest. "What do you think is in this bag? It's pretty big…"

Mashita narrows his eyes. "That certainly is…concerning. Let's take a look." Mashita carefully opens the bag. But it immediately loses its balance and topples to the floor. "…I half expected that to happen…"

What rolls out onto the floor is...a corpse.

A woman.

"Wh-What's with that…that body…?" I stutter in shock. Her body is drilled through with countless holes. A sharp, cylindrical tool must've gouged them. Even odder, her whole body appears to be covered in liquid. A thick, sweet scent fills the air, strong enough to make you want to cough. "Is this…honey…?"

"What a fascinating corpse… This is intriguing."

For some reason Mashita appears to be extremely interested in it.

"We need to get out of here as soon as possible." I spoke "…Let's hurry and search the rest of the cottage."

"I agree. Let's put the corpse back. It's best not to disturb the scene."

"…So just shut it back up in the bag?"

"Of course. Preserving the crime scene is critical." It's all about unpleasant topics with this guy. But he's exactly right. "Let's hurry up and get this over with."

* * *

Sweating profusely, we manage to get the job done. We still need to search the rest of the cottage. First I began with the shelves that are on the right of the body bag and saw a bottle of drugs that are all line up, the label say 'Nite Nite'. Most of the bottles are empty. I shake each one, and luckily find one that still has some left inside. Well…it could be useful, so I guess I'll bring it with us.

Shoving the bottle in the bag I shown the light on the table and saw to notebooks. It's an old notebook, the cover says 'Honey Bee Family Notes'.

_'Make…hive…new body…smear…honey…all over…Ferment…honey…get…stinky liquid…Drawn by smell…honey b…enter hive…'_

That looks like some useful information. Picking up the book I shoved it in my bag before moving onto the next one. It's another 'Honey Bee Family Notes'.

_'Honey bees are our friends. Make them amiable with medicine from the sprayer. If they get mad, pay attention to the direction the hives is facing. Awakened honey bees leave the hive in the direction of the sun.'_

Huh. That's interesting. Didn't know that…though I'm pretty sure I won't have known that either if I'd still had my memories. Still this could be useful too, guess I'll take the book with me.

After putting the book in the bag I turn to face Mashita "Hey did you find anything?"

"No. Must of the boxes here are empty and the red case on that self is lock." He replied.

"I see…" I mutter "If found a couple of books that could be useful. Other than that nothing else."

"All right then. Let's head back out and continue to look around." Mashita stated making his way to the door.

"Okay." I followed behind him and after sometime we made back over to the grave marker. From there we continue to go up north of the path. As we continue through the dense forest, a pained cry suddenly echoes among the trees.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah."

I shone the flashlight around to find where the sound came from but couldn't see anything, shrugging we continue to make our way down till we found a box in the middle of the ground. It looks like the box used to contain a bee hive. I carefully approach it, but I don't see any bees. Crouching down I open the box…and find a metal tool inside. It's a crowbar.

"It'll probably come in handy. Take it." Mashita commented.

"Yeah, sure." I picked up the crowbar and put it in my bag. Standing up and dusting the dirt off my knees we continue down until we stumble upon another grave marker.

"Huh…? Another one?" There's something written in Sanskrit, but the letters are blurry. It just looks like a stain. Off to the side, I notice a thin trail.

"Hmmm, another one, huh?"

"Looks like it."

"Let's check this one, too."

I follow Mashita into the bushes.

"Gahh?!"

Mashita spots something and stumbles, falling backward into me. At the same time, every single hair on my body stands on end. I quickly look down and find…something is clinging onto my ankles, it's expression anguished.

It seems eager to speak to me, but its voice is incredibly hard to decipher.

**"*ad…*ad…This pl**e…pitch **ack… …*g**n…can't see…anything…"**

What's it saying…? Wait… That grave marker said to say the opposite of the truth. But what's the opposite of the truth? Does that mean I'm supposed to lie?

**Live or Die**

**"H*y…! Wa*t! Are you **feless, too…?"**

"I am!"

It looks sad and lonely.

**"*ight… Only the dead are here…"**

I hear another voice at my feet.

**"A-A-Am *… …*ead…? * don't be**eve *t… I don't understand… *m*… T*ll me…! Am *…*ead?"**

I waved my hand saying "No."

**"N-No way… I still have to **ffer…"**

This one also looked sad and lonely. Then I hear yet another voice at my feet.

**"****one…! Pl**se listen! I *an* to **ve! I *an* to **ve! I *an* to **ve! I…! I'm **ive!"**

I nod my head in response.

**"That's right! I'm **ive! I'm **ive!"**

The voice sounds like it passes through me and is then sucked into the ground.

The next thing I know…The shadow clutching at my ankles is gone.

**Survived**

"Is it over?" Mashita asked.

"Y-Yeah…I think so."

"I thought I'd gotten used to that. But I hate it every time it happens."

"…It's not something you need to get used to."

Mashita turns his back to me and wipes his face with a handkerchief. I guess he was sweating really hard.

"That's the best way to overcome it. If you love pain, the it's no longer painful."

That's true, but…

"There's no way I could do that."

"You're surviving all this okay. You're fine the way you are right now." He said "…Let's go."

"Right…"

I step into the empty clearing. The air is filled with the buzzing of bees. There appears to be a giant bee hive here. It probably wouldn't be wise to keep going without doing something about them first.

"Damn insects…" Mashita growls. "But we can't force our way through."

We beat a hasty retreat.

"Now what?" I asked once we got out of the area.

"Don't know… But we need to find a way to deal with those insects."

"True…Hey, you said that red toolbox was lock right?" Mashita nods "With the crowbar we got…maybe there's something inside that could help us."

Mashita ponders for a minute "…Possibly. But I wouldn't hold my luck."

I shrug. "Still wouldn't hurt to check, right?"

We quickly made our way back to the cabin and went over grabbing the tool box and placing it on the table. Handing the flashlight over to Mashita so I can open the box without any trouble. Taking out the crowbar, I shove it under the lid of the tool box. I put pressure on it, using it as a lever.

_SNAP_

The tool box pops open. And inside the box is a sprayer. "Looks like it did have something useful." I commented picking up the sprayer. With this I can now us a variety of drugs.

**_"Manipulators…will themselves be manipulated…"_**

"What's that used for?"

The sudden voice makes me jump, but I shake it off and turn toward him. "It's a tool that sprays chemicals and pesticides. You put the container of drugs in here and then do this…" I quickly demonstrate how it works. Mashita scratches his face, his brow furrowed.

"You're well informed. I'll leave that to you, then."

…And now I'm suddenly in charge of it.

Sighing I put the sprayer in the bag and took the flashlight back from Mashita. Now that we have something to help out with the bees, I'll have to figure which drug to use.

But is this thing really that hard to figure out?

I've never seen it before either, but I still knew how to use it right away.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

Stepping back into the clearing where the buzzing bees are, I take out the sprayer and hold it in one hand. "I should be able to use this to spray drugs." I look over to the bee hive…I've no idea how far this sprayer can reach, but…The hive's not too high up. I should be able to reach it. Thankfully, they're out of reach.

I take out the Nite Nite and put it in the sprayer. I take careful aim, and spray the drug.

The bees' movements get slower. Eventually the hive falls completely silent. I've silenced every hive in this area. Now we can pass through. Sadly though, that spray used up all that was left in the bottle. Here's to praying we don't run into another bee hive…

"They're just bugs, after all." I look over at Mashita "Insecticide takes care of them easily. I'll leave the rest up to you."

…What kind of detective makes someone else to do the work? Apparently him. Struggling to hold back an insult that is ready to be thrown out, I shove the sprayer back and my bag and head forward.

As we walk, a weird sound broke through the air.

"Hey, did you hear that?" Mashita asked

I heard it. It sounds familiar. Turning around, I wonder if it's… And yup, that black rabbit hops in front of me. The rabbit stares at us, completely still. It's almost like it's waiting for us to follow.

"Hey… Wait!"

The next thing I know, I'm rushing after it.

"Don't run off on your own, Yashiki!"

That rabbit was at H Elementary. It showed up and guided us when we were in trouble. That's not some normal rabbit. It's definitely acting with intent…

* * *

At last, the rabbit guides me to… An old Shinto tori gate.

"There's a shrine here…?"

The rabbit looks back at me…

Then soundlessly it turns from the gate and hops into a bush nearby.

"So that's where you went…" Mashita step out of the bush with an annoyed look on his face. "Dumbass. What were you thinking? Wandering off will get you killed. Why're you so interested in that thing?"

Oops?

"Something's bothering me about it…I lost sight of it here, though."

Just then, from out of the darkness…A huge swarm of bees descends on us.

"Gah! Watch it, there are bees everywhere! We need to retreat!" Mashita pulls my arm and we stumble back to the earlier crossroad.

"Idiot, don't run off like that again!" Mashita snaps at me after catching his breath.

"S-Sorry." I panted.

"Anyway, we have to get rid of those bugs. Can you do something with the sprayer?"

"Using the sprayer could calm them, but… There was a hive above the gate, too…"

"I see…But it feels like that shrine is someplace important…"

"…"

True enough, but…That time the rabbit brought me here; it didn't try to go inside the gate. So maybe there's no reason to force our way inside.

"I don't think we need to worry about the shrine for now." I said. "Let's just get back to looking around."

"…Fine."

Going back to exploring the woods we stumble upon another cabin. As we approach it I notice there's a small crack between the doors. I can only imagine that creates a bad draft.

I went to open the door but…it seem to be locked.

"I wonder…" I take out the crowbar and jam it between the doors.

"Well, this is an emergency. I'll overlook it this once."

Good to know. But I can't break the lock.

I throw my body weight behind the crowbar two or three times, then…There's a sound of metal breaking.

"…?!"

The crowbar snaps completely into two pieces.

"Guess the metal wore out. Never would've expected it to break. But it looks like the lock is broken, too. So it all works out in the end. Time to look inside."

"Yeah…" I put the broken crowbar in my bag.

"Hey, you overdid it. Now the door's stuck and hard to open."

I push the door open and step inside.

Only to run into something.

"S-Stop… Don't come any closer! I-I-If you come any closer, I… I'll sue!" A woman has backed up in a defensive stance. "I-I'm a black belt in taekwondo! I-If you try anything, I'll…"

"Shut it! You want to die?"

"Eek…?!"

At Mashita's roar, the woman shrieks and falls silent, eyes wide. It's incredibly rude, but honestly I'm grateful.

We wait for the woman to calm down before asking what she's doing here.

"…F-Forgive me. It was all a misunderstanding, on my part. I'm Christie Arimura, freelance news anchor. Though I haven't done much recently."

"Arimura…? Right, now that you mention it, I do remember you. You were fired over that scandal."

"…"

Should I be disgusted or amazed at his rudeness?

"Um, anyway…What are you doing out here?" I asked her.

Her expression clouds over. "Well…"

Mashita huffs at me. "You're going to make her say it? I really don't think you have to ask."

Masao Kimura's face comes to mind.

That's right… This place is…

"I was going to die." Christie spoke "Yes, I know full well just how stupid that is. But sometimes that's the only choice you have left!"

I should've known better. Such a thoughtless question passed my lips. I wish I could blame the Mark for this.

"That tragic act of yours damn near got us killed. If you want to die, do it by yourself."

Woah hold on, Mashita! I could be wrong but aren't you supposed to talk someone out of it, if we stumble across someone wanting to kill themselves?

"That's why I came out here. So I wouldn't cause trouble for anyone." Christie said "At the very end, I thought about calling someone, but couldn't, so…So I made up my mind. B-but then in the forest…"

I have a bad feeling about this.

"What was… …In the forest?"

"A huge man… An extremely huge man. N-No, actually I'm not sure if he was really human or not… But I saw a figure like that. Then I suddenly got scared…So I ran into this cottage. I'm here to kill myself and I just run from danger. I'm a riot. …Wh-What's wrong? You two aren't saying anything."

"That's exactly what Mary was talking about." Mashita said.

"Yeah…" I nod. Christie must have seen Shimi-O. Which means she must also… "Have you gotten a weird scar recently? One that stings every now and then."

"…?!"

I know the answer just from her reaction.

"H-How'd you know? I-I only just noticed it myself. There's a strange bit mark…on my palm.

"…" This is crazy. Someone receives the Mark when they're already planning suicide. The height of irony.

"We've heard her out. What now?" Mashita looked at me "She planned on dying. Do we need to help her?"

"H-Help me! I'm not going to kill myself anymore! I swear! So please! I'm terrified of him!" She begged.

Her eyes are serious. She must mean what she says. It might only be a temporary change of heart, but…

"All right. We'll help you. Our home base is Kujou Mansion. We need to go—"

_Click_

"?! What's going on…?"

"Wh-What? What's happening?"

_Click_

_Click_

I smack the flashlight a couple of times "…The light won't turn on. This has happened before, but back then…"

_Click_

_Click_

I got it to go back on right away. But this time it's not working.

_BAM!_

"Ahh!" Christie screams in fright "Wh-What?! What was that?!"

"Behind the cottage…It must be him." Mashita stated.

"Shit! It's no use!" I cursed; I give up on the flashlight and stuff it in my bag. But what's the plan now? Do we bunker down in this cottage we can't even lock up? Or…? "…We have to run out of the forest. Staying in the cottage would be suicide. This place is strangely clean. That means, someone is coming here."

"Good guess. The odds are high that he's coming here."

"Let's go… We walked all the way here. We should know how to get back."

"Y-You're seriously going? Are you mad?!"

"Sorry, but we're out of time. Stay here if you want. I won't stop you." I told her.

"Aaaugggh!" Christie let out a frustrated shout and followed behind us.

We step out into pitch blackness.

"It's as dark as you'd expect it to be." Mashita commented.

I nod in agreement "Anyway, we need to go straight back to the entrance with no detours. We've got no idea where he could be waiting for us." The words leave me in a rush. If I hadn't spit them out, I'd never finish. My voice is starting to shake too much. We quickly made our way down the path back to the fork.

"W-We're at a fork already." Christie stuttered "Which way? Where do we go?"

"I think…east." I stated looking around "We came from the east."

"O-Oka-"

_Thump thump_

"Yaaaah!"

"Hey, don't yell!"

Something's coming closer. We need to get out of here fast. We quickly made a right and continue back down the beast trail, till we came upon a familiar grave maker. Okay…we are on the right track.

"Another fork!? Which way this time?"

"We go south from here. We keep going straight and we'll reach the exit." Mashita stated.

_Rustle_

"?! Quiet…!" I hurriedly whisper.

_Rustle_

_Thump_

Something's passing through the bushes right by us.

"He's moving parallel to us. Is he following us?" Mashita question.

"Even if he is, we have to keep going."

"Exactly. Standing in one place will just get us killed. …Let's go."

Making a right we quickly proceed down the path making no stops till we came upon another grave marker when Christie began to speak.

"W-Wait a second…" Christie suddenly comes to a halt.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Someone's…coming."

"…?"

"I'm telling you, someone's coming!"

_Crunch_

_Crunch_

Out from the darkness jumps…

"Shou…!?" I gap in shock.

"L-Lady!" Shou yelp in fright at my sudden voice shouting out "Oh, thank God. I thought you'd've been in further…"

"Wait… Why are you here?" I question him.

"Oh, yeah. You guys were gone so long and I got worried, okay. So I psyched myself up and bike over here. Seems like you're in real trouble. Good thing I came."

"You can say that again. Anyway, we're on our way back."

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea." Shou glances over at Christie.

"We'll fill you in later." Mashita told him "First, we need to get out of here."

We continue back down the path till we reach the entrance safe and sound. The creepy 'murder' on the arch is such a familiar sight now. "All right, if we made it this far, then we must be…"

"Time to get back to the car." Mashita cuts me off.

"…" Christie doesn't move. She looks worried, staring off at the forest's entrance.

"? What's wrong?"

"Huh? Oh…" Christie snapped out whatever trace she was in "Um… Over there… Doesn't it…look like someone's there?" She's looking at a picnic table hiding in the gloom next to the gate. My gaze is drawn over, as if by magnets.

"What…is that?"

…The scene before me is strange. There's a huge, misshapen man with bees crawling all over his face…My eyes fixate on his mouth. He looks like he's laughing. My heart thunders painfully when I catch a glimpse of the limp figure sitting beside him.

_'It's him…That man…!'_ He was going to commit suicide…Masao Kimura…It's definitely him.

**_"Control those that are different…and exorcise…"_**

That strange voice echoes in my head again. My vision warps.

_'He's dead…? Kimura's dead? When? Why is he on that bench?'_ My legs give out and when I can finally focus enough, I find myself kneeling on the ground.

"H-Hey, Lady! Keep it together! I-It's still okay! He hasn't seen us!"

"We have to escape while we can."

"Ugh…Kh…" Christies' completely out of it. She won't move an inch unless someone drags her.

"L-Let's go…We're going to the parking lot. Quietly." I shakily got back up to my feet. "Shou, you bring her."

"Y-You got it…"

"…"

I glance over at the silent Mashita "Come on, Mashita, let's go." He ignores me glaring over at the distance. "Mashita…?"

"He's gone…"

"Huh…?"

"I took my eyes off him for TWO seconds and he's not by the bench anymore…He disappear-"

**_BBZZZZ_**

"?!" A machine growls, and the undergrowth near us rustles.

"Gaahh…! He's right there?!"

"Everyone ruuun!" Mashita yells, scrambling away.

_BANG_

A hollow bang rings out from behind me. _'A gunshot?!'_ It must be Mashita. I had no idea he had a gun.

I dive head first into the car, slamming my head accidentally into the steering wheel. Mashita tumbles into the passenger's seat last.

"You didn't tell me you had a gun."

"Why would I tell you? No time to talk now. Just hit the gas!"

_TIC TIC TIC_

"I-I'm trying!"

…The engine won't start.

"Sh-Shit!"

"L-Lady! What're you doing?!"

Mashita looks through the front windshield at the figure approaching.

"Hurry it up. He's coming."

"Sh-Shoot it! Shoot the fucking thing!"

Christie cowers in the back seat, her head in her hands.

"Please…God…"

_BAM_

"Eek!"

Something bumps the hood of the car. The whole vehicle rocks violently. But then…

_Tic tic vroom_

"It turn on!"

"Go! Let's get the hell out of here!"

Tires squealing, we race out of the parking lot.

* * *

An unspeakable sense of relief fills the car. If feeling truly alive is a real sensation, then it most definitely feels like this. The greatest irony is that the only time you can feel truly alive…is when you have a brush with death.

No one speaks for a while. We're all soaking in that feeling.

The only noise is that of the bicycle creaking uneasily every time I hit the gas pedal.

"Still…" I glance through the rearview mirror and then at the passenger's seat. Both Mashita and Shou are looking out their windows. "Was it really okay for you to come here? If Mary finds out…"

"We talked it out before I came." Shou immediately snaps back. "She said it was fine."

I get it. Mary must have also guessed that we were in danger.

"So, you gonna explain? Who's this old lady?"

"Oh, right." I tell him everything I know so far about Christie Arimura. She offers up some details as well. The moment I mention she's a news anchor, Shou predictable gets excited.

"Wait! I've seen you! You're that woman that was in the news. Wow, it's really true. Celebrities are more beautiful in person."

"Oh, how kind of you. I'm flattered."

She seems to love being complimented.

"But these scars you all have…Uh, what were they called?"

"…Marks." I told her.

"Thanks. So you all have these Mark. What happens when you have one?"

"Well…"

Mashita butts in from the passenger's seat. "You die…within a few days' time. Suffering from something like amnesia. You zone out and your brain takes a vacation. It all happened to me."

Shou scoffs. "Tch. You talk like it's someone else's problem."

"Shou…" Mashita didn't mean it like that. You can only be blunt when discussing this. Doesn't look like Shou will buy that excuse, though.

"Guess it really _is_ not your problem. After all, you don't have a Mark anymore."

"Huh? What's he talking about?"

"Oh, well you see…"

Mashita has already lost Hanahiko's Mark. He's free now. So there's no good reason for him to be here with us, but…

"You're putting yourself in danger for the truth? I can't believe it… You're like a saint."

Christie's exaggerated compliment is drowned out by Mashita's sardonic laugh.

"It's nothing that noble. But thanks to that I've learned the thing I most wanted to know."

"And what's that?" I asked.

"When and how people get the Mark. The first time I was oblivious. But…This time…I was aware of it."

"…?!" I snapped my head over at him in disbelief shock "Mashita…you don't mean…"

He gives me his usual crooked grin and shows me his wrist. Sure enough, his skin is blemished by a scar that looks like a spirit's bite mark. Shou cries out, a look of horror on his face.

"C-Come on…No way…Did you seriously do that?! Man, give it up already."

"It's someone else's problem right? So just shut it."

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"Mashita, could I say something?" I called out to Mashita as everyone else went to the mansion.

Mashita paused in his walk and turn around to face me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." I said "You never told me you had a gun."

"Oh, that…" He laughs scornfully and shoves a paper bag into my hands. I open the bag and find…A revolver-style handgun at the bottom. "If you want it, take it."

"That's now why I…"

Mashita keeps on talking without stopping to hear what I have to say.

"It's loaded with 5 bullets. You can hang onto it. But promise me."

"Promise you what?"

"Don't use it on anything other than a spirit. Not that there's any proof it'll work on them."

"…Of course."

"Have any experience with guns?"

"Not that I know off…and there's no way I would know if I do."

To be fair, I don't really know. But at the very least, right now I'm not getting the feeling that I can't handle a gun.

"Oh…Only use it under extreme stress. With no experience, you won't hit you mark. Well, whatever. If I'm there, just leave the shooting to me. You can face the spirit some other way."

"Yeah… That's how it was at H Elementary, too."

"And for god's sake, keep it hidden. Gun possession gets you 3 years penal labor. I'd get hit with 1 to 10 myself just for giving it to you. And shooting a single bullet would get you more than 3 years, if not a life sentence."

"…So you're telling me not to use it?"

"No. I'm just telling you that if it's restricted that badly by the law…it's got that kind of power."

**_Tick-tock tick-tock_**

**_The Mark's color grows more vivid…_**

**_Early Dawn  
A few hours left until death closes in._**

DEATH MARK

"Welcome back, Lady Yashiki, Lord Mashita. And you as well, Lord Shou. It appears that the woman with you is also a Mark Bearer."

We introduce Christie and then Mary proceeds to fill her in on everything. The Mark after your life, memory loss, and the spirits who curse them into the living. Christie accepts her new reality surprisingly quickly. Guess it's only natural after what she saw in the forest. I then update Mary on what we found.

"I see… What a close call for you."

I can hear relief in her voice. But why did she let Shou go?

"If you must know, after you left…Lord Shou insisted on traveling to the forest as well." Her eyes flick over to Show.

"Like hell was I going to let a couple strangers decide if I live or die." Shou puffed out his chest.

"…It was quite the issue. A selfish attitude like that could get all of you Mark Bearers killed. I normally would have refused…"

"Did something happen?" I asked.

"No…I admit I had a foreboding feeling. I sensed danger was closing in on you, Lady Yashiki. So he went. An emergency measure. Lord Shou, please know that I will not allow such a thing a second time." Her cool voice is icier than usual. Shou's so self-centered, I wonder if she's actually getting through to him at all. "Now, from what you have told me…You are positive that it was Shimi-O who gave Lord Shou his Mark."

"Yeah…"Shou nods "That ugly monster is definitely the huge man I saw that time."

"The fact that I have the Mark now too proves it." Mashita rubs at his writs, smirking. And was it just me or did Mary sent a look at Mashita…as if she knew this was going to happen.

"So, what exactly are you planning?" Christie asked. "Don't tell me you're seriously thinking of fighting that thing. There's no way you'd win. You're completely mad if you think you can."

"She's right. A certain someone's 'awesome' bullets didn't even scratch it. We need a tank or somethin' to beat that thing…"

"Tch…" Mashita glares at Shou.

"…"

The room falls silent. I'm sure all of us are thinking about what we saw back at the forest.

"There's no way we can do anything about a monster like that… We have to leave it to the police."

"You honestly believe they'll do something?" Mashita scoffs at her "Go and make a suicide pact with that naïve thinking. But leave me out of it."

"Wh-What…How dare you…"

"Yo, boss. All this high and mighty talk coming from you. That means…You've got an idea how to beat it?"

"How the hell would I know that? But I'm willing to risk my life to find one!" His shout is hoarse. He's probably uneasy.

Christie shivers.

Shou just glares at Mashita.

An awkward silence falls again. We're wasting time. We've got to do something, but…I need to force everyone into action. We can think about what we need to do while we're walking around.

"I'm going back to the forest. I want to learn more about Shimi-O. I could use some help…"

"Eh, you say that, but…"Shou scratches his cheek looking a bit uneasy. "No way we can find a needle in a haystack. We gotta have a clue first."

"Then…" Christie began "Why don't we check out the bee farm that's north of H Shrine? My reports say several people have seen Shimi-O there. Hardly anyone ever goes there now, with the weird events in the forest."

"Why is a bee farm up there?" I asked.

"A cult called 'Honey Bee Family' used to live on the land." Mashita said. "No one's there anymore though."

"How come?"

"They…**committed mass suicide**…" Christie said.

A mass suicide in the woods…I've heard about that somewhere. Mashita might've mentioned something similar before we entered the forest.

"The tabloids and gossip shows ate it up five years ago. They never revealed the details though, so the public doesn't know."

"Oh, yeah, I remember that." Shou mutters "But my club took up all my time back then, so I don't know much."

"You seem to know quite a bit about the forest, Christie Arimura." Mashita looked over at her "Read up on it to find a primo spot?"

"Don't be an ass. I was put in charge of the report, so I did my research. Honey Bee Family was very insular and secretive. I heard the mass suicide end was all the members following their leader. New channels chalked it up to their discontent with modern society."

"What happened to the leader?"

"Rumors say it was also suicide. Though…I saw an old picture of him and…He was a huge, obese man."

Suddenly everyone is holding their breath. No doubt we're picturing the same thing. The monster at the forest entrance.

"A dead guy's come back to life…? We wanna go to a place with a zombie…? That's totally insane."

"It's just like the rumors say. That forest is cursed. There's no way I could…Just standing there, the voices of suicide victims surrounded me…"

"Shut the hell up, hag! No more words outta those lip flaps!"

"But now it's not only the forest that's cursed…I failed to kill myself and now I'm at this mansion… I'm cursed, too. And so are all of you…" Her mutters have a dark edge.

If Shimi-O is somehow connected to Honey Bee Family…Then the key to destroying his grudge is going to be there.

"Oh right. What are you gonna do, old lady?" Shou asked her "…You still wanna die?"

"I'm considering it…But I'll help you guys while I settle on my decision. I'll pass on monster fighting."

"Wow, you'll help? I'm shocked. If you leave your Mark alone, you won't need to hike back out there."

Christie glares at Mashita "Well, I hate owing strangers. Especially pushy guys like you."

She seems grateful that we saved her. There's no reason to refuse her help. We need as much as we can get.

"The night is drawing to a close. The key to escaping the Mark does seem to lie within the forest. Lady Christie has said Shimi-O was often seen near the bee farm. It may hold a connection to him. Good luck."

"Thanks." I nod to Mary then look over to Christie. "Christie…I may take up on your offer in helping us."

"Huh?"

* * *

Once after Yashiki manages to convince Christie to come with her and the two had headed out, Mary looked over at the semi-relax ex-detective.

"Lord Mashita, may I speak with you alone?"

"…"

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

We come to the forest's entrance once again.

"That man…is gone, it seems." Christie mutters.

I look at the old picnic table. What was Shimi-O doing back then? Making a corpse sit next to him…it's almost like he was having a picnic.

"Did he just want a friend?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Nothing, sorry. Just talking to myself. Don't worry about it. Let's go. We haven't learned anything about him yet."

I try changing the subject. But I still can't stop staring at the picnic table. I shine the flashlight on it and it sparkles gold. It's a glass container with a metal lid. I carefully pick it up off the bench. It's a bottle of honey.

"I can't believe you're willing to touch that. That's where he and that corpse were…"

"Maybe it's a gift. No, it's probably more like he just forgot it." I mutter "…?" Just then, I see something lying on the table itself. It's the cap from a soft drink. The inside of it is still wet. But I don't see the bottle itself anywhere. "Did he…throw it away?"

Looking around I found the trash bin and quickly headed over there. I feel around inside the container…My fingers hit something hard, grabbing and taking it out I shone the flashlight on it and saw it was the empty bottle. There's something else, too. I pick it up. It's a crumpled piece of paper.

_'…with…ly family…fun…Play catc…Liquide…got on… …sticky…Bees…gather…over and over…game interrupted…'_

That's all it says.

"Is this a diary draft or something?" I question to myself while shoving the paper in the bag. "Hey, Christie there doesn't seem to be anything else here. Let's head back over to the cabin we meet at. We didn't get a chance to examine the place last time."

"…Okay."

* * *

Sliding the door open, we both quickly step inside the cabin and just like the last one this one is clean too.

"So, what is it that we are looking for?"

"Anything really. Whatever you find could help us in the long run of things."

I went over to the self on the left and saw it was packed full of bottles. More Nite Nite spray? I hope so; we might need those if we come across more bee hives. I search through all the containers and gather the ones that still have something in them. Not a lot but more than last time.

"This seems a bit out of place…"

"Huh?"

I looked over at Christie examining a box on the shelf in the far right.

"What do you mean?" I walk over to her and shone the light on the box. It is a exquisitely crafted case with jewelry inside, it defiantly looks out of place sitting in this cottage. Grabbing the case and placing it on the table and open it. There inside are carefully preserved torn notebook pages.

_…is a holy journey. Performed in a quiet place… In the area past the meeting place… There is a clue about how to get to paradise. The eastern thicket…often…'_

"Hmm…"

"There's a notebook here on the table too."

"Oh…" I open the notebook, but most of the pages have been ripped out. Doubt it has anything useful. Placing the book back down I glance over at Christie "There doesn't seem to be anything else so let's keep going."

Heading back to the fort, Christie asked which way we should go. Since going back to the right of the path will just bring us back to the grave maker and making a left will just bring us back to the tori.

"Guess will go straight." I said walking forward.

As we headed forward a familiar buzzing sound fills the air. Oh great…another bee hive in the area. It probably wouldn't be wise to keep going without doing something about them first. I took out the sprayer and quickly added the Nite Nite and sprayed the hive. The bee's movements get slower. Eventually the hive falls completely silent. Looks like that's the only hive here…guess we can keeping going now.

"Pesticides are bad for you. Be careful not to breathe any in. You'll get asthma." Christie warned.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Continuing onwards I hear creaks and groans, along with the rustling of leaves. Looking around I couldn't find the site of the noise. Probably nothing important.

"It's another fork…which way should we go now?"

"Hmm…I guess straight again. If it's a dead end we'll turn back around and go another way."

"R-Right."

Moving forward a sweet fragrance wafts on the wind from somewhere in the darkness. At my feet are what look like bee hives. This must be all what remains of a bee farm.

"…" It's weird that something like this is here of all places "Well, may as well have a look around." When I move the light upwards I see something dangling from the tree…those are human corpses! Their skin is as white as was. Countless holes are drilled into the bodies, and bees are buzzing in and out of them. My mind flashes back to the corpse in the cottage. "It's just like that woman…"

Christie is looking away. "H-How horrible…Why would anyone do this?!"

The bee hive at my feet starts to rattle. A pitch black cloud suddenly rises up, overwhelming my vision! Something invades my eyes and nose. It's …a swarm of bees!

"Eeeeeek! No! stay away from me!"

**Live or die**

Even more bees are coming from the hives. Which hive should I close first…?

"!" I rush to the eastern hive and somehow manage to close the lid. I hear the disgusting sound of bees being crushed. Seems I was able to stop their attack.

Alright, that's one down…two more to close. Getting up quickly I dive at the southern hive and close the lid. It's a close call, but I manage to seal up the awakened bees.

Okay one more to go and we should be safe…I just hope none of us are allergic to bees. Probably should have asked that before we left. I carefully sneak close to the last hive and manage to close the lid. A lukewarm liquid spurts everywhere, like a grape bursting in my hand. I succeeded in closing the hive right before the bees burst out of it.

After I close all the hives... The bees finally quiet down.

**Survived**

"Huff huff huff huff….Th-That was close…"

"Yeah… You're telling me…"

We crouch there for a while until we catch our breaths. Gathering myself back together I walk back over to the hanging corpse to examine them again. There are countless holes drilled in them, which the bees use to go in and out. The inside of the holes seem to have a spiral pattern. Must've been made intentionally. A thick liquid drips from them. The smell… Well, I can't describe how horrible it is. The bees are gathering on it.

"What…is that liquid…?" It seems that liquid attracts bees. If I had a suitable container, I could gather some of it. I take out the empty bottle and gather some of the dripping liquid in it. Closing the lid tightly I place the bottle back into my bag.

When I put the bottle away I notice one of the corpses is clutching something in its hand. Frowning, I pry open the stiff fingers…and got what appears to be a cottage key, from what I can make out on the faded words. When I put the key in my bag, my wrist burns in pain.

**_Ding tick-tock tick-tock_**

**_The Mark burns scarlet…_**

**_Dawn  
Half an hour left until death closes in._**

"I've…felt this before…"

Cold sweat drips down my back. I suddenly remember what happened at H Elementary. The Mark's symptoms accelerated, and the person with me began acting strangely.

"H-Hey…Christie." I spin around and look at them.

"What?" She stares at me, puzzled.

"Are you…feeling okay?"

"Yes… I feel perfectly normal. We need to hurry, you know."

"R-Right…"

It doesn't seem like she's changed at all. I don't understand what's going on, but if she's fine, that's great news. Still I don't know how long it'll last, we better search for more clues quickly before Shimi-O decides to show up. I honestly don't know if Christie can handle a confrontation. Best to find much as we can before I'll have to take her back.

Turning around we took a right at the fork and come to another dead end…well I thought that was a case till I spotted a thicket growing straight ahead. It's rather dense… There's no way to see what's past it. I press through the thick undergrowth…and notice a small clearing inside. The path might keep going. I realize something as I continue down it…I can feel someone staring at me from the bushes.

I turn to Christie "Please…try it."

"What? M-Me…? …I-I guess I'll have to." She faces the figure and offers up a prayer.

…The figure vanishes.

"I-It disappeared…?"

It seems her desperate prayer worked.

"Th-Thank goodness…It didn't possess me."

"Good job."

"Let's keep going."

Pushing through the bush and walked down the path we come across another cottage. I went to open the door but it was lock. "I wonder if the key is for that…" I grab the key out of my pocket and put it in the key hole and unlock the door.

An overly sweet smell permeates the inside of the cottage. I'm pretty sure it's…

"Honey, huh…" My eyes fall on a white object that was carelessly left lying around. That can't be…

"Don't tell me…You're thinking about opening that?"

I nod. I have to check it out. We…don't have much time left. But…I glance over at Christie, best to look around first before we check the bag. Shining the light over a bit I spotted an old notebook sitting on top a crate. The cover says 'Honey Bee Family Notes'.

_'Family won't die if they're dreaming. If the betrayer comes…Wake them up and hit them. Do it until they calm down. Be careful everyone. When they wake up… …family is only human.'_

Hm, interesting, I thought putting the book in my bag and looked around more. Coming across a small container on the self, 'Ugly lady' is written in faded marker. …Must be someone's idea of a prank. Inside is something that looks like a dried tree root. There's a scrap of paper stuck to the tree root with wire.

_'Everyone's gone. I'm all alone now. I want to see everyone. But my head is so foggy, I can't remember how…I think the last thing I need to do is combine those two, but…'_

I frowned…combine what? Could this be some hint to the key we are looking for? Well there doesn't seem to be anything else here…guess it's time to search the bag.

A big burlap sack is slung against the wall. It is incredibly lumpy, making it easy to determine it is holding something. Just then, something inside the bag moves…It keeps squirming intermittently…

"Wh-Why? Why is it moving?!" Christie panics step back a couple of paces.

A cold sweat breaks out on my forehead. I hesitantly reach for the mouth of the bag. Holding my breath, I slowly open it.

…A sickeningly sweet smell hits us.

It's a corpse, currently becoming a bee hive.

It's completely unrecognizable at this point, but I intuitively know who it is… Masao Kimura, who was sitting on the bench with Shimi-O, and wanted to commit suicide.

"Th-That…can't be a…bee hive?"

Honeybees are burrowing into the holes all over his body, diligently making their hive. The faint noise we'd coming from the bag must've been the buzzing of bees.

This is…beyond insane. It has to be the work of Shimi-O. Once it's complete, another object dart will be added to that repulsive bee farm. Just then, I notice some objects stuffed in next to the corpse. The mismatched items seem almost like burial accessories. For the dearly departed.

A tennis ball, large bottle of Nite Nite, and three Nite Nite bottles.

**_"Daze the swarm… Then you'll be safe…"_**

Daze…the swarm…?

Can I do that with what I've found so far?

We return Masao's corpse to the bag. I'd like to give him a proper burial, but there's no time for that right now.

"H-Hey… Can I say something?" Christie's expression is grave. Her face is flushed with shame. "I know full well that it's far too late to be saying this, but…I can't stand it. I can't take any more of this. If we run into this monster, now way will I be able to do anything…I'm not kidding! Whatever I said on TV, it's totally meaningless here in this forest! Sorry, but… I can't help you anymore. I know this is out of the blue…But it thought it was now or never. I really am sorry. But I just can't do this."

Christie stumbles over multiple apologies.

"...No, there's nothing to apologize for. It's normal in situations like this." Any regular person would react the same. Hell, everyone would want to run as far away as they could. But her confession carries a dangerous consequence of its own. If, at some point, I end up fighting the spirit like I did at H Elementary…Could she handle being my partner?

"Hmm, tell you what, Christie." I began "Let's look around for 10 more minutes…and if we don't find anything else I'll take you back to the Mansion and bring Mashita with me. How does that sound?"

"I-I guess…but what if we run into that monster?"

"Then we run like hell back to the car like last time. Though I'm pretty positive we won't run into him anytime soon."

"…Fine. If you say so, but _only_ for 10 minutes."

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

Coming back to the area where Mashita and I found the crowbar I looked around and spotted a hidden path. This is the end of the 'path of meetings'. This might be the area past the meeting place mentioned in the note. We push through the undergrowth…And find a beast trail leading to the east.

"A hidden trail…? Why would something like that be…?"

"We better be careful."

"Yeah… I know."

Then…The ghost of a man stands blocking our way, silently staring. The figure's glaring harshly at me. But only me. I quickly glance at Christie and nod my head to the ghost.

"M-Me…?! I can't do that…"

But when she faces the figure and offers up a prayer…

…They figure vanishes.

"Oh, thank goodness. Looks like my prayer got through to them."

"Prayers come in handy sometimes, huh."

"Let's keep going."

Pushing through the bush we stumble upon another bee hive in the ground. It doesn't look like it's being used anymore. There aren't any bees anywhere. I carefully open it up. Inside is a folded scrap of paper and something that looks like incense.

Next I look over at the small plant root growing next to the box, I remember that dry root back in the cottage and the note that was attach to it…maybe a fresh one could be useful…? I take out the broken crowbar and thrust it into the dirt by the plant's base. The dirt is softer than I expected. The pointed end easily breaks it up. Finally I get to the root. It kind of looks like a small carrot.

"Huh? What are you going to do with that?"

"Not sure yet…but I have a hunch it could be useful. Anyway it's time to take you back to the mansion. Let's hurry back to the van."

"Oh, yeah, right."

* * *

After dropping Christie off back at the Mansion and updated everyone, Mashita and I headed back out. He seems fine as of now…but I don't know how long it'll last when we do confront Shimi-O. And I defiantly haven't mentioned the tension between Mary and Mashita. Did something happen while we were gone? I notice that Mashita is hanging a bit too close to me than normal…

Getting back to the forest, I lead Mashita to the one section I haven't explored yet. And lo-an-behold another bee hive…more like three…blocks our path. Honestly this is getting annoying. I hope to god this will be the last bunch will run into. Sighing in irritation, I pulled out the sprayer and the Nite Nite and began to spray the hives.

Continuing on our way, we come across some more hanging corpse and a bee hive on the ground. There is a buss of bees filling the air. The drug should easily be able to reach it. Actually, wait. I'm too close. We shouldn't breathe in this stuff. So stepping a couple of paces back I take out the Nite Nite and put it in the sprayer. I take careful aim, and spray the drug. The bee's movement soon get slower and eventually the hive falls completely silent. There, now it should be safer to open the box. Opening the box there's a bottle of drugs hidden inside the bee hive.

**_Ding tick-tock tick-tock_**

**_The Mark is dyed a deep crimson…_**

**_Sunrise  
A few minutes left until death closes in._**

"…" The Mark scorches me again. Looks like we're out of time. I brace myself, then glance over at Mashita.

"…"

"Mashita…I'm counting on you."

"…"

"Sorry. This is going to hurt."

_THWACK_

I slap Mashita's face.

"That did the trick." Mashita groaned. "Nice hit."

"That clear your head a little?" I asked "He's coming. We have to go. We'll do everything we can, but you have to do as I say."

"Right. You can count on me."

I hope so…

I proceed to lead Mashita into the darkness. Drifting on the wind from somewhere…is the meltingly sweet fragrance of honey. Something flies at us in the dark.

"…!"

A sharp pain pierces the arm I used to cover my face. I think I got stung by a bee. Bees swarm around Shimi-O as he draws closer. I won't survive being attacked again.

I quickly pour the stinky liquid over the tennis ball, and throw it. The bee cloud rushes at the ball. They must be reacting to the smell of the liquid on it. The bees swarm the ball. They look like a dense black cloud.

Okay one more time! I pour the stinky liquid over the baseball, and throw that one too. The bee cloud rushes at the ball again. I guess the second ball was effective, too.

"Mashita…now will be a good time to use that gun ready of yours!" I yelled at him taking out the Good Morning spray that I gotten from the box and spray it at Shimi-O.

"R-Right…!" Mashita takes aim from his gun and fires. The bullet lands a direct hit injuring Shimi-O. Looks like actual weapons can hurt spirit then. Best to keep that info in mind for later.

A cut opens up on his giant body and a bittersweet-smelling liquid pours out.

**"Owww-I-I'm not-a traitor-"**

Shimi-O bends over backward, moaning. Liquid spray from the holes in his body.

I grab the last Good Morning spray and repeated the process again with Mashita firing his gun at Shimi-O.

Shimi-O writes in pain, his body jiggling.

**"No-I don't wanna wake up!"**

Shimi-O hollers in pains as the bullets hit, but it doesn't seem to be enough to beat him. Shimi-O is clearly weak…Now's the time to finish him off. I pour honey on the plant root, and throw it in Shimi-O's mouth. He initially tries to expel it, but seems to realize something and gulps it down quickly. He happily stuffs his cheeks with the honey-coated root…

**"Now-I can finally-see-my family-hahahahaha"**

He collapses flat on the ground, the deadly poison having invaded his whole body. His face is frozen into a peaceful smile, like a kid who's just eaten a delicious meal. The bees continue to hover around the still Shimi-O…

I don't sense Shimi-O anymore…

"Hmph. Took long enough…"

Mashita is back to normal. His Mark appears to have vanished. Mine is…still branded red on my arm. Then Shimi-O wasn't the one who gave it to me…But I kind of figured that'd be the case. From what I can tell, when Mark Bearers confront the spirit that cursed them…They suffer extreme memory loss. That's why Mashita was acting strangely. I myself didn't have any problems. So, Shimi-O wasn't the right spirit.

"...?" Something is lying on the path. It's a small notebook. The cover's wet, the light of the flashlight making it glitter. It could be honey.

…Did this belong to Shimi-O?

Where did he hide this? Okay, now I really don't feel like touching it.

"Yashiki, something on the ground."

It seems Mashita has absolutely no intention of picking it up. Lovely. I give up, and bend down to grab it. Flipping through the pages, it appears to be a diary.

"Save it for when we get back. We need to get out of here."

"Yeah, you're right."

We carefully retrace our steps back to the entrance so we don't get lost. As we walk back down and without warning, the light dies…

"Hey. What are you doing? This isn't the time for jokes."

"It's not me…!"

_Click click_

What's going on…? It won't respond…

Any icy cold shiver runs down my spine. I'm suddenly overwhelmingly afraid, like the dark forest is trying to absorb my body.

_Click click click_

If I could…just…get the light back on…If we just had it back, I'd feel so much better…I hit the switch repeatedly, silently praying…

_Click_

…Just malfunction?

"Once we get back to the mansion, we better replace the batteries. Let's get a move on. We'll be in trouble if it goes out again."

"Uh…yeah."

Strange…and these are fresh new batteries too.

We hurry all the way out and got in the car.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"Yo, you're back. Haha! You did it. My mark's totally gone. But…" Shou glances over at Christie.

"…My Mark…is still there. What does this mean?!" Christie is hysterical, clutching her head.

What the…

"We're in water over our head when it comes to spirits. Let's check in with Mary." Mashita stated.

"Welcome back, Lady Yashiki. It appears that you overcame your fear and cleared away the grudge. It is unfortunate that Shimi-O was not the one who bestowed your Mark. Good news is that at least Lord Shou and Lord Mashita's Marks vanished."

"A question." I began "I get why my Mark didn't go, but why hasn't Christie's? I thought she got it from Shimi-O."

"The hypothesis is then incorrect. What I mean to say is…Another spirit must have given her, her Mark."

I don't want to believe it… But it's true Christie hadn't been in her right mind when we met. It's definitely possible that she hadn't realized she had it already.

"Lady Christie received her Mark fairly recently. Her memory is currently unaffected. But if she were to coming into contact with the spirit that cursed her…Her amnesia may accelerate. So please exercise care."

Her amnesia would get worse…That would explain Mashita's strange behavior before we fought Shimi-O.

"…Hey, lady. It's been bugging the hell out of me, but man, your hands are gross."

"Of course they are." I give Mashita a side glare and the ass has the nerve to raise a brow at me! "I did spend a whole day walking all over a mountain. What did you expect?"

"Okay, yeah, but…You really reek, too. Did you touch somethin' gross?"

"I think he's talking about the honey on your hands. From picking up the notebook."

"…" I never did read that honey-covered notebook, did I. I take it out of my bag and open the sticky pages.

Inside it talks about Honey Bee Family. What they did, and their ideologies. I can't tell if Shimi-O wrote this or someone else, but…The incoherent writing spells out their fanatical thinking and hatred for society. It's fascinating as abnormal psychology, but doesn't bear relevance to our current problem.

The author seems extremely pious. Multiple pages wax on about H Shrine. They seriously believed we'd face divine wrath if the shrine fell to ruin. All of the suicides in the forest… The numerous, horrifying incidents…According to the author, they're all because of the divine wrath of H Shrine.

H Shrine…Divine wrath…

Strange. That part sticks out to me…

After I finish skimming though, I tell the other Mark Bearers what it says.

"Ugh! Enough of that crap. Divine wrath, curses…It's too much."

"Guess I can't write it off then. It's no more ridiculous than the idea that spirits really exist. We're dealing with the supernatural, so just about anything's fair game."

"Divine wrath…If that's true, then… …"

"It is almost dawn. We must end today's investigation. Please rest. I am sure all of you are tired from walking on the mountain." Mary said.

"I haven't been this wiped out since the last time I was at baseball club. Sorry, but I gotta go crash. Later." Shou waved then headed up the stairs.

"Too much has happened today. I need a break from it all… I'll think about the future more once I've gotten some rest. Well, good night…" Christie bid us night and headed up as well.

"Hey, Yashiki. I've decided to leave tomorrow, too."

That caught me off guard as I turn to him with wide eyes "Eh? Y-You changed your mind then?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"…Oh."

I could be imagining it but I swear I saw a frown forming on his face and that quick glance he gave to Mary. I could be seeing things from how exhausted I am. But…when Christie and I had come back at the mansion and the tension between the two…

"Anyway. I'm satisfied. That big string of missing persons case the force couldn't solve…I figured out what was behind it. And…I've basically close the Honey Bee Family case I've chased for years. 'The truth you're seeking can be found here,' huh? Mary's something else, isn't she?" Was there a double meaning behind that? "I can finally visit someone's grave."

His expression's still the same, but it feels like he's more at peace. He accomplished what he set out to do. Yet…I feel like that's a half truth of his reason on leaving. Am I missing something else?

"…" Mashita give me a long stare "Hey, Yashiki…This whole thing is too dangerous. I'm reckless, but that doesn't mean I don't care if I live or die. Sticking my neck out for you past this point is just too risky…Sorry." A tremor runs through his clenched fist. "If you manage to escape your death, I'll buy you a drink sometime. See you."

I silently watch Mashita go up the stairs and disappear from view. "…."

"Now, Lady Yashiki. Please inform me once you are ready to rest."

"Oh, yeah." I snapped out of my trace and looked over at Mary. "I guess…I'll be heading to bed to. Night."

"Good night…Lady Yashiki."


	5. Chapter 2 Shimi-O Notes

**_*The Forest and Shimi-O_**

_The forest is shrouded by strange events, suicides and body dumping and the like. It's scared off the casual visitor. Only the occasional test of courage brings a foolish kid inside. The paths are shaded at all hours, with thick trees, so it's easy to become lost. Among the rumors swirling about this forest is one of a bizarre man._

_Known as the spotted man, or Shimi-O, he's covered in dark splotches and asks all he meets if they like bees. If they say yes…he attacks them while laughing manically. He sounds like your standard crazy, but I guess he's the next spirit we'll face. At any rate, we'll have to head to the forest to investigate._

**_*Man at the Brink of Suicide_**

_As we walk past the grave marker, an agitated man named Masao Kimura appears. Once we get him to calm down, he calls off his plans to kill himself. Before he leaves, he mentions seeing a man covered in dark splotches. I wonder if he's still around…? We should keep moving._

**_*Corpse in the Cottage_**

_We find a corpse in a burlap sack in a cottage in the forest. The strange body is completely covered in what appears to be honey. It doesn't look like suicide, but who'd do this? And why? The cottage is oddly clean, so someone might be coming here every day. Could it be the culprit?_

**_*Obtained a Sprayer_**

_I find a sprayer that can shoot a variety of liquids. Then I hear that strange, ghost-like voice again. "Manipulators…will themselves be manipulated…" It keeps coming out of nowhere and surprising me, but I must admit that it has never once lied to me. Maybe it's not actually an evil spirit…_

**_*Mysterious Shrine_**

_As we're investigating the forest, that black rabbit appears. I quickly chase after it and arrive at an old, leaning tori gate. Is there a Shinto shrine past it…? I'd love to investigate, but hives over the gate ward off intruders. We'll have to look elsewhere for now._

**_*A Mark Bearer in a Cottage_**

_We quiet the bees with the spray and find a second cottage further in the forest. No corpse inside this time, but a living woman named Christie Arimura, a former news anchor. Seems she came to commit suicide, but getting caught up with us and our circumstances changes her mind. Oddly enough, she already bears the Mark. What irony._

_She most likely got her Mark from Shimi-O. While we're discussing it, the flashlight goes out. It's not malfunctioning. It's just like with Hanahiko. A presence is closing in on the cottage… We have to get out of here. We've no time to explore and we definitely can't get lost. The shortest route back to the forest entrance is the only way._

**_*Temporary Retreat_**

_Somehow we get the car started and we speed out of the forest. Before we make it out, we spot two men, one of them familiar. It was Kimura, his neck twisted awkwardly. He seemed dead. The man beside him was smiling. Was that Shimi-O…? The disembodied voice says, "Control those that are different…and exorcise them." Easy for them to say. How do I even do that?_

_We learn another truth on our drive back to the mansion. Mashita, who escaped the Mark once already, now has it again. It appeared when he saw what we think is Shimi-O. It's true then, that spirits are the ones cursing people with the Mark. But it's beyond me why Mashita would risk his life to learn more about the Mark. He must have some kind of reason…_

_Back at the mansion, Christie tells us of an incident in the forest she reported on back when she was an anchor. Five years ago, a group of people calling themselves the 'Honey Bee Family' lived cut off from society deep in the forest. That is, until one day, when they mysteriously committed mass suicide._

_News reports said they'd become disillusioned with society and followed their leader's orders to die, but the police investigation was inconclusive. The problem lies with the appearance of the leader who was said to have died with them. Christie says pictures show him to be a giant, obese man. The mass suicide caused the forest to become quickly deserted._

_This 'Honey Bee Family' group concerns me. There were traces of their presence everywhere in the forest. If we want to survive any unexpected dangers or chance encounter with Shimi-O, we need to be careful to not overlook a single detail in this investigation._

**_*Human Bee Farm_**

_We discover a horrific bee farm with corpses strung up as bee hives. Body fluid and honey mix, dripping from the corpses. It's disgusting, but we could easily fill a vial with how much is there. But morbid thoughts need to wait, my Mark warns me that time is short. Will the amnesia get worse? Shimi-O could be closing in on us right now. We have to hurry…_

**_*Reunion with Kimura_**

_Kimura turns up in another cottage, dead. His corpse, covered in gruesome holes dug out by a sharp object, is now a bee hive. Why the hell would someone use a human body for that? This whole thing is insane. And tomorrow, I could be next. Then I hear the voice again. "Daze the swarm… Then you'll be safe." Who knows what we found with the corpse means._

**_*Facing Shimi-O_**

_Someone stares from the darkness, and I feel them drawing near. Going by the state of my partner's mind…the spirit will attack soon. I doubt we'll be able to escape Shimi-O by fleeing the forest, so we'll just have to use the info we've uncovered so far and face him down. To do that…_

_The key may be the whisper of 'Control those that are different and exorcise." It probably means to combine those things. Shimi-O has the bees helping him, so I should prioritize them. "Daze the swarm"… Could I draw their attention somehow? Maybe my bag has something to affect bees from a distance…_

_He's basically a zombie, so how to weaken him? A normal attack with a bat or gun would be useless. What I wouldn't give for some kind of occult gear that can raise the dead. How to annihilate the spirit…Burn it with fire…? Maybe something more cowardly like poison…Regardless, I need to consider everything carefully in order to survive…_

**_*The Truth Behind Shimi-O_**

_The spirit vanishes and a honey-covered notebook lies on the ground. A certificate is pasted onto the first page. Registration of the nonprofit 'Honey Bee Family', with an address with in H City. It was signed 8 years ago. Their goal is 'environmental protection of honey bees and their habitats'. Their leader's name is Shinzou Marou. So that's Shimi-O's true name…_

**_*Contents of the Notebook_**

_The pages after that are full of incoherent ramblings. Most is about members of the Honey Bee Family, and the torment they endured from society. It's as if the family's pent up resentment spews out with every word. The further I read, the more I notice there's a weird shift in the writing. The deeper into the pages I go, the more childish and nonsensical it turns…_

**_*Journal Record_**

_X/X_

_Found another suicide victim. The divine wrath is accelerating._

_X/X_

_Spoke with the voice at the shrine again. Divine wrath comes. Must love BEES more, or no promised land. That's NO GOOD._

_X/X_

_A tRaiToR among fAMilY. DiSinHEriTEd. SAcriFiCed. sHRinE and mE happy. HaTE the pOLIcE._

_X/X_

_Almost rEAdY to discard BoDY. Soon, soon…_

**_*Last Journal Entry_**

_LaST daY…EveRYOne went…to PRoMisED land…_

_So why why why why why why why why am I the only only only only only only…Oh… bODy…not…nough…hoLEs…need…more…_

**_*About the End of Shimi-O_**

_For whatever reason, Shimi-O didn't die during the Family's mass suicide. I wonder why? Does that mean the voice from the shrine wasn't a hallucination and some kind of divine wrath turned him into a monster? And the traitor policeman from the journal…It must be somehow related to Mashita. No time to check now._

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"*Spit*" Thank god there where some spare toothbrushes and toothpaste to use. Don't know if I could stand not being able to clean them for who knows how long I would be staying here.

…It's been a long day. So many things have happen at least I won't be completely alone…again. Still…I have to wonder who gave Christie her Mark. As Mary had said it's fairly new, so she should still have all her memories and yet Christie doesn't have a clue on what gave her, her Mark. I do hope we get some information on it soon before it's too late.

"…" Turning the faucet off I put away the toothbrush and head back out to the room. Tomorrow Shou will be leaving along with…Mashita.

Did he really stay behind hoping to find something about the case he was working on? Or was there something else? I'm not really sure. At first he seemed fine staying behind, but now he suddenly changes his mind and decided to leave. I understand his reason though…

"…But something feels a bit off." I don't know what. However, I know something must have happen while Christie and I were out.

_Knock knock knock_

Someone is knocking on the door.

"Huh…Oh, come in." I called out.

The door open and in comes…

"…Mashita!"

"You're still up? Good." Mashita said closing the door behind him and walked over to one of the couches in the room.

"…And if I was asleep?"

"Then I would have woken you up."

"…" How charming. I don't think I'll miss his sarcasm or rude remarks any time soon. Sighing, I walk over and sat down on the couch that is facing the opposite of the one Mashita is sitting on. "So, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to give you something before I leave in the morning."

"Give me something?"

Mashita dug into his pocket and took out a small white card. Handing the card over, I took for him and looking it over.

_Detective Satoru Mashita  
H City Police Department_

_(xxx) xxx-xxxx Office  
(xxx) xxx-xxxx Cell_

A calling info card.

"I may have been fired, but my cell number hasn't change. If you need anything, help or information wise…give that number a call."

"…" I blink in shock. "Wh-Why…?"

Mashita sigh closing his eyes rubbing his forehead "I may have found what I wanted after searching for all these years. But don't think I'm going to fully leave you alone with your condition as it is. With me in the outside world, I can gather more information easier if needed. I still have my connections despite being fired. This way I can still help you out despite not being here."

Mashita…heh, despite being an asshole every now and then deep down you do care about other wellbeing's, huh. Yes, I understand your reasoning's, being back out you don't have to worry so much about being Mark again…yet at the same time you can find information from a distance. You may be leaving…but you're still helping us out.

"Aww, Mashita…you do care about my wellbeing, don't you?" I tease with a smile putting the card in my coat pocket.

His eyebrow twitch as he narrowed his eyes in frustration "Don't be mistaken, Yashiki. I don't want you breaking anymore laws as is."

I didn't hear a 'no', though…

Mashita sigh standing up from his seat "Well I gave you what I needed to do, and I'm guessing you don't have a cell phone."

"Hmm…" I raised a brow in thought "Not that I know of. If I did I'd probably lost it or something. It wasn't on me when I first got here. Though there is a house phone here in the kitchen."

"I see…" Mashita rubs his chin "Well you have my number. If something comes up give me a call."

"Will do." I nod getting up myself. "And if for whatever reason you get Mark again, you know where the Kujou Mansion is at."

Mashita scoff as he made his way over to the door. "Like I'll let that happen to me again." Just as he got to the door he turn is head over "Oh and Karin…"

"?!" He's using my first name. Whatever it is…it must be important if calling me by that.

"A word of warning…Don't be afraid to be doubtful about the things around you. You need to watch your back better than before and be careful in who you place your trust and wellbeing into. Be aware with your surroundings, especially even more now given you condition. Don't hesitate to call me for anything…and keep me updated as well. Want to make sure you're still alive so I can buy you that drink. Good night, then…"

With that Mashita left the room closing the door behind him. I can faintly hear his footsteps walking down the hallway till they became nonexistence. I pulled out the card his gave me. "What did he mean by that…? Watch my back…be careful in whom I trust…" I sigh looking out the window seeing a bright full moon staring back at me.

"Why does it feel like things are going to be even more complicated then before…?"


	6. Chapter 3 Hanayome

It's been three days since Shimi-O's defeat. Mashita and Shou have left, leaving only Christie and I at the mansion. We've not had any new Mark Bearers arrive, nor any new info on any spirits. Death's footsteps keep drawing closer.

"Good work, Lady Christie and Lady Yashiki. Did you obtain any clues?"

"No, nothing really." I shook my head. "I'd hope, but…"

"I see. Lady Saya's study seemed optimal to contain something of interest."

Christie and I just finished investigating Saya Kujou's study. It had been full of mountains of specialized books and piles of reports. It was a daunting task, but we did our best to search through them regardless. Except it was all futile. Everything was about healing the spirit. Nothing mentioned the Mark at all.

"Hey, Karin…"

"Hm?"

"Don't you think it's useless to keep searching the mansion?"

I turn to face her "You have any other ideas then? I'm all ears if you do."

"Well…Remember what I said about H Shrine?"

"Yeah. I remember."

I might not remember my past…but the memories I'm getting now haven't been affected yet. I'm considering that a good thing.

"Right. Of course you would." Christie sigh "I was thinking…Maybe the shrine is connected to all this spirit stuff. That's what Shimi-O's notes said, right? Everything happening in the forest is the divine wrath of H Shrine."

I ponder on what she said "…Then you think the Mark and the spirit activity are because of this divine wrath?"

Christie nods "It's definitely a possibility. Disasters happen in many ghost stories and myths because of the wrath of gods. Isn't there value in looking into it?"

"Maybe…At this point anything could be possible."

"Exactly what I'd expect from you. Always so quick on the uptakes." Christie is brimming with confidence. She seems in a much better mood than she was three days ago. She's a famous reporter, after all, so maybe this is what she's really like. "So, Mary…I'd like to go see H Shrine. You don't mind, do you?"

We both look over at Mary.

"Hmm…It is true many unpleasant rumors surround that forest. If the cause is H Shrine, there may be some clues there."

"But even if there are… If it's spiritual, then how are normal humans like us supposed to find it?" I asked. Christie and I don't have spiritual powers.

"Hmmm…In that case, could you bring me along with you to H Shrine? I should be able to sense the presence of anything spiritual. I can act as a guide, as well."

"You know that shrine?"

"Yes. In truth, it enshrines…The guardian deity of the Kujou family. Over the generations, the heads have taken care of the shrine. However, that came to an end after the recent war resolved. As one who serves the Kujous…I am concerned about its present state."

"Then bringing you along would mean…I have to carry you, don't I?" I sigh scratching my head.

"As it is impossible for me to walk, I would agree with that assessment. I am sorry to inconvenience you."

"…" An overgrown forest in the dead of night…I'm not looking forward to having to carry Mary all the way to the shrine.

"You look worn out and we haven't left." Christie commented. "It's a small price to pay if we can get any hints about the spirits."

That's true. I think Mary's eager about this too, so I'll just have to deal with it, I suppose. Okay, let's go back to the forest.

* * *

Before we leave, we put Mary in the backseat. Thank God she's not as heavy as she looks. I should be able to carry her just fine.

"By the way, Karin…Have you read the files over there?" She points to the right side of the room and shelves packed with files.

"Not yet. I've searched most of the mansion, but I haven't checked the garage."

"Oh, really." Christie grabs a file and flips through the pages. "Looks like articles on various crimes. The clippings cover every incident in H City and the surrounding area. Was Miss Kujou looking into criminal activity?"

"Any of it look related to the Mark?"

"No, not as far as I can tell. These are all extremely old. The most recent is dated 5 years ago." She puts the file back. "All right. Should we head out soon?"

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

I park outside the entrance of the forest and gather Mary into my arms. We make our way to the familiar arch. There's still a long way to go…

"A young woman carrying a doll…You're practically a ghost story yourself if someone sees you here."

"Haha…I can just see the stories now."

"I am very sorry to cause you such trouble." Mary stares up at me as I hold her. Her skin and hair glint bewitchingly when the light from the flashlight catches them. "I have not been outside in a long time. And to go hiking in the arms of such a fine lady…This is a very precious experience."

She sounds as dispassionate as ever, but… Is she actually having fun?

"Still, it is just as the rumors say. This forest is filled with the curses and resentment of the dead. Simply their presence is enough to drive the living mad. The land is tainted. I can see why it has given birth to monsterous spirits."

"I bet if you track down the cause of it, it'll be the divine wrath." Christie said. "Let's hurry to the shrine."

We reach the old tori gate with no trouble. We stand and watch for a while, but nothing comes out of the bee hives. They seem to be sleeping.

"It is most likely because Shimi-O is now gone." Mary stated "H Shrine is up those stone steps."

At Mary's direction, we walk toward the gate. A small black shadow flits across our feet. It's that rabbit again.

"Hm, so this is the rabbit you told me about, Lady Yashiki. You are correct. It is very cute."

The rabbit stares up at the two of us. Then disappears toward the shrine.

"What in the world was that about? What do you think, Mary?" Christie looked over at Mary.

"I felt a strange presence…It appears to be possessed by some kind of soul."

"So it's a spirit, too." I said.

"Indeed. Though it does not appear strong enough to give Marks to humans…We know nothing of its true nature, so please proceed with caution."

We follow the rabbit under the tori gate and up the stone steps. At the top, we find the wilderness creeping in. there doesn't seem to be anything here but an old altar. Is this H Shrine…?

"Sadly, it has fallen into disrepair. The war was over 50 years ago. I suppose this was to be expected."

"That black rabbit is gone. Deserted shrines give me the creeps. Let's hurry up and get to searching so we don't stay here long."

I nod and move the flashlight forward and come across a sacred shimenawa rope on a ragged boulder.

"I wonder if that boulder is an Iwakura?"

"What's that?"

"According to ancient Shinto tradition, it's a sacred rock that a god descended on. It's not uncommon for the rock itself to become an object of devotion." Christie explain.

"Oh…" I move the light further up to spot a wooden shrine altar sitting on top of the rock. A clouded old mirror serves as the go-shintai. "Looks like it's true no one's taken care of this place for a long time." I peek inside the altar, just in case, but all I find is a thick layer of dust.

"The go-shintai's outside and the altar's empty. That's concerning."

"Hmm…" Off to the side is a headless Buddha statues are buried in the ground.

"Creepy…I wonder what happened here."

I don't think there's any more we can search.

"The Buddha statues concern me. Why are all the ones within the shrine missing their heads?" Christie wonders.

"Shinto and Buddhism were ordered to be separated during the Meiji period. Before then, many shrines were dedicated to both. H Shrine was much the same. But in the Meiji period, there was a push to make Shinto the main religion. The faiths were forced apart. Extremists stole the Buddhist statues from shrines and desecrated them." Mary explained.

"Oh…" Christie perks up "The famous anti-Buddhist movement. So this is where that happened?"

"No. it was done in a public space as they wanted to make a show of it. The broken statues were carried here to serve as a memorial for worship. The Kujou family head was said to be aggrieved, so he moved them in secret. It seems that all the broken statues from around H City were buried here."

"Strange…" I spoke "You said they were worshipped, but this place is pretty much a ruin."

"You have a keen eye, Lady Yashiki. The shrine was subsequently dug up and the statues were stolen."

"So they came all the way into this huge forest just to carry off broken statues…?" I raised a brow in disbelief. "Who would do something like that?"

"That I do not know…I merely heard they were stolen 50 years ago, around the time of the war."

"So the statues were broken, thrown away, and then dug up…They say the Buddha has a wealth of patience, but even he'd get angry."

I looked at Christie furrowing my brows. Could that anger have turned to divine wrath and given birth to the Mark and spirits…?

"…Mary. Have you been able to feel the presence of any spirits or whatever?"

"About that…This land is much more foreboding than I had imagined…The enmity of the forest swallows all else. It is hard to sense beneath it…"

"So, too much background noise, right?"

"Yes. Although…I do sense the same presence as Lady Christie's Mark, however faint. I am sure the spirit that gave her the Mark is somewhere in the forest."

So, after all that, we were only able to reconfirm something we already knew…

"Forgive me. I was unable to…"

"You don't have to apologize, Mary." Christie said. "We learned plenty of value here."

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"I'll tell you on the way back. First, let's get the hell out of here. This place gives me the creeps. Maybe it's the ill will Mary sensed."

We leave H Shrine, walking down the beast trail toward the forest entrance. Maybe it's because of that strange tale, but…For some reason, I feel like someone is watching us from the darkness of the trees.

We begin driving back to the mansion. As we break out of the dense forest, I can see building lights pop up here and there.

"Well that was a complete waste of time…" I sigh, leaning back a bit in the seat. My anxiety lifted, I don't even bother to filter the words that slip out of my mouth.

"Oh, I don't think that's true. It's all coming together for me."

Without further prodding, Christie starts in on her theory, passion evident in her voice.

"I believe Shimi-O was right. H Shrine is definitely what's causing all the strange stuff in the forest. I'm sure it's those stolen statues. Don't you agree?"

"…I wonder."

It feels like we just don't have enough info at this point to say one way or the other. But there's no denying that a lot of strange things are going on in that forest. Between all the suicides, and Shimi-O wandering around… It couldn't just be coincidence, could it…?

"If we research the shrine, we might learn more about the Mark. I feel that's a lot safer than risking our lives looking for the spirit. Don't you think?"

"…You might be right."

"…"

"…"

My replies are halfhearted which isn't what Christie was hoping for, so she falls silent. An awkward, uncomfortable silence settles.

"Lady Yashiki…Please stop the car."

Mary speaks for the first time since we entered the car.

"What is it?"

"I sense a presence similar to Lady Christie's Mark close by."

Following Mary's request, I park in a vacant rest stop on the outskirts of H City. Christie and I step out of the car.

"…Guh!" My Mark is suddenly scalding. Is something…nearby…?

"…Look. Someone's over there." Christie pointed over to the telephone box.

I look over to see a small girl stepping out of the telephone box. Why's a kid outside at this time of night?

"Thank you for bringing me out here this late at night, Eita. I got to talk with Hanayome."

"Oh yeah? Glad to hear it."

A rather round young man appears, steeping out of the shadows.

"You got your question answered, Suzu?"

"Yeah, it's okay now. Hanayome sure is amazing, though. She knows where everything is."

"You got that right…She helped me find my limited edition Love & Hero phone strap I dropped."

"Uhhh…What's Love & Hero…?"

"What? You don't know? They're a popular idol group here! They've been all over TV lately. I'm surprised you haven't heard."

"TV's restricted at home. Mom says it rots your brain. …Oh, Eita. Is the bus coming soon?"

"Oh, the last bus is on its way. We better go. We'll be in big trouble if your mom finds out we went out…"

"Yeah."

We watch from a distance for a while, but it's hard to determine their relationship. The pain from my scar is suddenly gone.

"(Hey, Christie… what do you think-)" I turn, but Christie isn't there. What the…where'd she go?!

"Hey, you there, just how do you know that girl?! Depending on your answer, I'll report you for child abduction!"

Well, there goes Christie, hounding the poor guy.

Sighing, I head up to them putting a hand on Christie shoulder "Just…calm down." I try to placate her, but she won't budge.

"U-Um… I-I-I…" The man stumbles over his words. He looks flustered and overwhelmed.

"Hey, lady! Don't be mean to Eita!" The girl rushes to stand defensively in front of him and glares at us. She seems a lot more levelheaded than the flustered guy behind her. "I asked him to help me, okay? I wanted to talk to Hanayome, so I had him come with me."

"Who's this 'Hanayome' you keep mentioning?" I asked.

"A ghost who helps find things. People say that you can talk to her from this telephone box."

"A ghost, huh…" She looks at me. We're both thinking the same thing. Earlier, the Mark was hurting, so maybe…

"You guys look serious… Uh, what's going on?" He nervously glances between us.

"Does this scar look familiar at all?" I show them the Mark on my right arm.

"Hey, hold on, what is this? That looks exactly like mine…" He pulls off on of his gloves…and reveals the Mark on his hand. "It's the cursed scar, yeah? I saw an article on it in OOPArts Monthly. They say it causes amnesia. Even kills you…But that's nonsense…I-It's not all true, right? Right?"

Sounds like he'd heard the rumors but chose to not do anything about it. That's no surprise, really. It's tough to believe it's real until your memory loss starts becoming noticeable.

"…I've got one of those, too. It showed up on my left wrist when I made that phone call earlier…" Pulling up her sleeve, she shows us her Mark. They both have the Mark, and after calling Hanayome. That's no more than a coincidence.

"…Well, we can't just leave them here. Let's bring them to the mansion." Christie suggested.

I nod in agreement and looked over at the two; we then tell them what's going on and ask them to go to Kujou Mansion with us. It surprisingly doesn't take much to get them to come. I thought it'd take more convincing. It could partially be because they missed the last bus while talking with us. Before they climb in, I warn Mary to stay quiet until we get back.

Might be a bad idea to freak them out.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

First we introduce ourselves. The man's name is Eita Nakamatsu. The girl is Suzu Morimiya. They tell us they met through the reader's column in OOPArts Monthly. Suzu mentioned she was interested in Hanayome and Eita told her what he knew. Then she pestered him into bringing her to the rumored telephone box. They were out this late because of her. Her parents sound pretty strict. Her mother keeps a close eye on her after school and she need permission to go out. So she snuck out of the house after her mother went to bed.

"Hanayome is just as famous at my school as Hanahiko is. Hey, Eita. Please tell them about those rumors." Suzu looked over at Eita.

"Do I have to…? Okay, fine." Eita reluctantly tells us at Suzu's request.

They're just rumors I read, but…

* * *

_"Hey, remember that one story? You know, the one about the public phone box in H City…There's a ghost that looks like a bride, and she'll find what you're looking for. One of my friends actually tried it. He went to the specific phone box that lets you talk with ghosts…"_

_Ring ring ring_

_"The phone suddenly started ringing. He slooowly picked up the phone. But all he could hear was this weird smacking noise. He stayed on the line, until…"_

_Did…you…**see**…it…?_

_"He heard a woman whisper. So he did what the rumors said to do and said 'No, I haven't seen it. Then she said…"_

_What…do you…want…to** see**…?_

_"His cat had gone missing, so he asked where it was. When he looked where the woman said it was, it really was there. So the rumors are totally true. I want to go ask her where my future bride is now…Oh! Wanna come with me?"_

* * *

"There…" I carry Mary from the car and gently place her back on the sofa.

"Thank you very much. Being in your arms is not bad, but I am most calm when I am here."

"The doll really talked…"

"I can't say I expected that…Then does that mean all that stuff about the Mark is true, too?"

On the way over, we updated Suzu and Eita with just about all they needed to know. They may not…completely believe us, but they're not rejecting it outright either. It seems like Eita in particular has already experienced some memory loss.

Something about forgetting the names of anime characters or voice actors…

Christie looked at him strangely, but he appears to be taking it quite seriously. And Suzu snuck out of her house because she believed the rumors about Hanayome. They both believed in the occult already. I'm pretty sure they'll help us find a way to escape the Mark. Granted, they're also really curious about Hanayome…

"Pardon me, but may I speak? The Marks on Suzu and Eita…They are likely from Hanayome. And Lady Christie…The feeling I sense from your Mark is the same as theirs. So we can assume Hanayome also gave the Mark to you. Do you recall encountering her?"

Christie got a thoughtful look on her face "…Something weird did happen. Right before I entered the forest…I stepped in the phone box on T Mountain. The phone rang out of nowhere."

"Oh, it might be because of that." Suzu piped up "The telephone box at the rest area is also in the rumors of Hanayome."

"B-But…I didn't pick it up. It creeped me out, so I left. I was never able to give that person one final call because of that."

"Uhhh… Who are you talking about?"

"It is not for children to know."

"F-Fine…"

"So there are other phone boxes like that?" I asked.

"Uhh, I think…There are three that Hanayome will call from. The one we went to in the A Highway parking lot is one. And one is at T Mountain Rest Area. That's the one Miss Christie went to. And, um… Eita, where's the last one?"

"At the park by T apartment complex. It's the only one inside the city."

I furrowed my brows in confusion "But why just those three locations?"

"Dunno. The BBS I read didn't say."

"…Um, miss…Do you think Hanayome is the one who gave us the Marks?"

I looked down at Suzu worried look. Oh boy…

"There's a high possibility that is the case. From what you have told us to Christie story to…it is most likely that Hanayome gave you the Mark."

Suzu frowned "But the rumors about Hanayome go back five years…And no one's ever mentioned that if you call her you'll get a Mark."

"Suzu's right..." Eita nods "Rumors about this Mark thing only popped up super recently."

"So you're saying…" Christie began "Hanayome hasn't always been giving out the Mark?"

If that's true, I wonder what triggered the change. Of course, I can't really say seeing as I don't know anything about spirits.

"A ghost helping people find what they're looking for. That's pretty strange."

"Definitely the definition of 'ghost story'." I added.

"Hey, Karin. If those rumors are true…Why don't we try asking where the stolen statues are? If we return them to their places, it might just save our lives."

Search for the Buddha statues… If Christie's right, we might be able to escape the Mark without fighting a spirit.

"Mary, what do you think?" Christie looked over to her.

"A good question…Objects with human forms are easily able to gain inexplicable powers. Bleeding stone statues, cursed dolls…There are many examples. Historical statues of gods and Buddha's would certainly be no exception. Asking Hanayome about them would be a good idea."

So say the doll before our eyes that has the inexplicable power to talk. Maybe it wouldn't be strange that Buddha statues could bring down divine wrath.

"Lady Yashiki, may I add…As I explained previously, your Mark is…It is different from the others. Vanquishing spirits seems to weaken your Mark's power."

It's been several days since she told me that I was going to die. Taking care of the spirits we encountered is likely how I'm still among the living.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I cannot say what the relationship between your Mark and Hanayome is. But it is true it is in your best interest to track down spirits. I hope you will guide these Mark Bearers this evening as well."

"…"

I can't really picture Christie and Eita facing off against a spirit by themselves. If they failed…then a child would suffer the deadly consequences. That would weigh heavily on me.

"No turning back. I'll figure something out."

"Thank you." Mary bows her head slightly. "Now you should begin investigating Hanayome. Why does she only call from three public phones within H City…Her secret may lie in the answer. You visited the parking lot already. Please investigate T Mountain and the park by T apartment complex."

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

The phone booth stands solitary on the edge of the vacant rest area. An endless sea of trees stands behind it. Christie must've run into the forest after she heard the phone ring.

_Bark bark_

I can hear a dog howl from nearby. It almost sounds sad. But I'm probably just imagining it. Christie doesn't seem bothered by it. She's completely focused on the phone box.

"I must've gotten my Mark from Hanayome back then. But I was completely oblivious. I wasn't exactly in a right state of mind…"

Rumors say the phone is supposed to ring if you wait by it for a while. "I'm guessing waiting outside doesn't count."

"Probably not. It only rang after I'd stepped in it."

But the booth is too small for two people. Either I or Christie will have to go in…

"You aren't thinking I'll do it, are you?"

"E-Eh…N-No not at all."

…I guess I'll just have to go in.

Walking in the booth and shutting the door, I notice how cramped it is inside and almost impossible to move around at all. It'd be a sitting duck if a spirit attacked me while I am in here. The clouded glass makes it hard to see the outside. That just makes me more nervous.

…I wonder how long I have to wait until the phone rings?

To pass the time, I glance around at the inside of the booth. There's a poster attached to the window.

_Help Our Investigation!_

_On the night of 2/8/199X, an assault took place in the forest nearby. If anyone has any info on this case, please notify H Police Department._

This is dated five years ago. Looks like something terrible happened here.

_Ring ring_

The phone begins to ring…

I hesitantly reach out…and pick it up.

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…._

The only sound I hear is the dial tone. No one is speaking. What's going on…?

_Chomp chomp chomp_

Suddenly, there's a strange noise…Crunching. Smacking. Like the sound of saliva as someone chews.

_"Did…you…**see**…it…?"_

Tucked in the smacking is a woman's voice. The voice is creepy…Cold…And chills me down to the bone…

Is this Hanayome…?

_"Did…you…**see**…it…?"_

She asks a second time. The rumors mention that I should say 'I haven't seen it.' Very seriously, I say, "I haven't seen it."

_"…What…do you… want …to **see**…?"_

It's going exactly as the rumors said. Hanayome is supposed to tell you the location of whatever you're looking for. Christie told me to ask about the Buddha statues that were stolen from H Shrine. I'll give it a try.

_"…Buddha…statues… Lord Buddha… Doesn't your arm already have the mark of the Buddha on it…? Tell me. You want a new Buddha? Why're you doing that? Tell me. Well? Tell me. Tell me, tell me. Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me? Tell me?** Teeeeeeeeeeeeelllllll mmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeee!**"_

_Click_

_Beep…_

_Beep…_

_Beep…_

The line goes dead… The woman's scream is still ringing in my ears. I feel sick… It must be because of my brush with that bloodcurdling insanity…

Why didn't she answer my question…?

What was different from when the others asked?

The Mark on my arm burns dully, like it's reminding me it exists…Maybe this is why she was acting strangely. And she did say something to the effect that Buddha gave me this Mark… Was she just too insane to differentiate between Buddha and a monsterous spirit?

Or… Is the Mark really the work of divine wrath from the Buddha statues?

I wait a while longer…But the phone doesn't ring again. There's no point in staying in here.

As soon as I leave the booth, Christie comes up to me.

"You don't look well. What happened?"

I tell Christie about my conversation with Hanayome.

"What? That's not in the rumors." Christie's brow furrows in confusion. "Should we go check out the other phone box for now? Maybe there's a clue there. We can also see if you can ask again."

There's no time to get lost in thought. The last phone booth is at the park by T Apartments, in the other direction. We'll head there after stopping at the mansion. It's probably wise to ask Mary what she knows since it's on the way.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

I tell Mary what happened at the phone box.

"You say Hanayome acted strangely…She called the spirit that cursed you with your Mark 'Buddha.' I cannot say I know what she saw…But from what you said, she will likely not respond to your question. That does not mean she does not understand you, however. Use any method available to obtain as much information as you can."

I nod my head the looked over at Christie. "Hey, I need to do something first before we head out."

Christie blinked. "Okay. What is that you need to do?"

"I need to make a call. It shouldn't be more than 15-30 minutes. I'll be right back."

I headed over to the kitchen and walked over to the phone hanging on the wall next to the fridge. Picking up the phone I took out the card Mashita gave me and dial his number. It rang about three times when the familiar brusque voice spoke on the other end.

_"Satoru Mashita, speaking."_

"…" I blink in shock by the tone of his voice. I'm pretty sure I look like a fool by how wide my mouth is right now. "M-Mashita…"

_"…? Yashiki?"_

"You…You actually know how to speak politely?!"

_"…"_ It was silent on the other end for a minute then _"I'm going to hang up now."_

"Wait! Wait! Don't hang up! I have some information to give you!"

_"Then start talking and quit wasting my time!"_ He shouts back annoyed.

Ah and there's the asshole we all know and love…

"Okay! Okay!"

And I began to update Mashita on everything so far, starting with the H Shrine, meeting Suzu and Eita, how Christie Mark is tied in with this new spirit named Hanayome, and the conversation I had with Hanayome.

_"So…this ghost tells you where things are? How convenient. And there are three telephone booths she'll speak to?"_

"Uhn. There's one by T Mountain, the park by T apartment complex and the last one at A Highway Park."

_"Why only those three?"_ I can hear some movement on the other end most likely he's leaning back in a chair or something.

"I don't know. However, if this is the spirit that marked Christie and the others, then we'll be finding out why. Another thing to add is if you stand outside to wait for the phone to ring it won't."

_"It's only if you go in the phone booth."_

"Yeah. And from what I gather, even if you don't pick up the phone when it starts ringing you'll still get mark. Do you remember the conversation we had with Christie when we first met her? About how she had plan to make one last phone call?"

_"Yeah, I remember that."_

"Well…she had gone to the T Mountain telephone box. When the phone started ringing it freak her out and ran to the forest."

_"…I see. So it's safe to be near the telephone box as long as you don't go in it. Am I right?"_

"Most likely. You could probably still go in and make a call. I'm guessing as long as you don't wait in there for Hanayome you should be fine. Though, I rather not test that theory and have someone else get mark."

_"Fair enough. I'm not in the mood to get mark again. Is there anything else you want to add?"_

"Yeah." This time I out a bit more serious "There are two more things I need to tell you. Though this bit is_ very_ important."

_"…"_ Mashita is silent as if waiting for me to talk.

"Hanayome has been active for five years…yet the Mark only been around for at least a month or two."

_"…What?!"_

"Another thing is…Hanahiko and Shimi-O; they were dated five years ago too. All three of these spirits came to be five years ago. That can't be just a coincidence. They've been around for five years and now they are able to give out Marks to people that cross paths with them."

_"And yet…the ghosts we ran into in the forest weren't able to. I remember checking after they left us alone. Is it possible that they weren't strong enough to give the curse?"_

"That's what I'm guessing as well. The black rabbit we ran into the forest…well Mary says she felt a spirit possessing it, but it's not strong enough to give the Mark. My theory is that…if a ghost has been around for, what five years, it probably gained enough spiritual power to Mark people."

_"There could be some truth behind that theory of yours. If that's the case, we'll need to find out if there are other spirits that have been around for five years or more. *Sigh* This is going to be a pain."_

"Well…I don't think we _need_ to hunt every spirit out there, Mashita." I let out an uneasy chuckle. "We have _some_ leads on how to stop the curse."

_"Yes…leads that you don't even know where to start. Much less know if they are true."_

"Erk!"

_"Thought as much."_

"An-Anyway…" I coughed gathering myself back together "The last thing I wanted to ask you is that while I was in the booth I saw a paper written by the H Police Department."

_"Oh?"_

I began to explain the content of the paper. "Do you know anything about it?"

_"Hmm, I do briefly remember about that case. Though it wasn't my case, so I don't really know much about it."_

"I see…I just…have a feeling it could be tied in with the spirit Hanayome."

_"Well…I _did_ give you my number for cases like these. I'll go see what I can find out. Doubt there'll be much give how long ago the case was. And I remember, like the Honey Bee Family case's that one was unsolved as well."_

I nod "All right. Then I'll leave that up to you then. Christie and I are about to head out to the T Apartment Complex and try again."

_"…Be careful then."_

"Is that concerns I hear?"

_Click_

"Eh?"

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

"Did he just hang up on me?!"

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

I see a small park tucked between all of the looming apartment buildings. There's no on here. I guess everyone's already asleep.

"They said this was the phone booth from the Hanayome rumors, right?" Christie wonders "Would a spirit really appear in the middle of the city like this…?"

Well, now that I'm here…I still have no idea why Hanayome hung up on me. I followed the rumors exactly. "Where did I go wrong?" I scratch my head.

**_"Don't adhere to the gossip…Defy it…"_**

Suddenly I hear that strange voice again.

Gossip… In other words, the rumors. What will happen if I don't follow the rumors?

"Christie, go back to the car. There's something I want to try…But it might end up backfiring on me."

"S-Sure. I don't know what you're going to do, but please be careful." Christie looks at me with worry "Oh, and I almost forgot. I have a message from Eita."

"Yeah?"

"It's about the lasted information on Hanayome from the BBS. Take a look." Christie hands me a note written by Eita.

_'Don't talk about eyes or things like it when you're on the phone with Hanayome! If the call goes sideways somehow, don't say 'eye', okay?_

_P.S. Best to avoid anything that even sounds like 'eye'.'_

I frowned "What? Don't say 'eye'…? …This is it?"

"Yeah, that's all. Anyway, Eita said he was sure it would come in handy."

"…I'll keep it in mind."

Christie returns to the car. I step inside and wait for the phone to ring. There's a poster in this booth, too. Just like the one at the rest area, this looks like it's been here for a few years.

_Young Woman Kidnapped!_

_A young local woman was kidnapped close to this location. If you were a witness to this crime, please notify the police. –MPD_

February 8th. Five years ago…Just like the poster back in the other rest area. This is too much of a coincidence? I just hope Mashita is able to find something.

_Ring_

_Ring_

The phone rings. I grab the receiver and slowly pick it up. I hear a noise like someone chewing gum from the other end of the phone. An icy cold voice speaks…

_"Did…you…**see**…it…?"_

I took a deep breath and exhale slowly and said "I saw it."

_**"Aaaaahhhhh! You…saw…didn't…you? You saw…that thing of me!"**_

The voice cuts off.

_BAM_

Something outside collides violently with the glass of the booth, but I can't see it.

**Live or Die**

**_"Tell…me…How did you…see it…With your own eyes…? Or…Eyeglasses…? A telescope…?"_**

"A telescope."

**"…"**

It sounds like something's searching around outside the phone box.

**_"You saw it…You said you saw it…What color…? A beautiful color… Red…? Pink…? Green…?"_**

"Maybe pink?"

**_"…You saw it… What kind of person…are you? What's important to you…? Your dreams…? Romance…? Love…? Which…Which do you choose?"_**

"Romance is great."

**_"…"_**

**Survived**

_Click_

The phone goes dead.

The next thing I know, the bloody handprint is gone and so is the ominous presence…The questions she asked me were strange. She was particularly anxious about what I had seen. I think I did a good job not mentioning anything like eyes in my answers.

Overly conscious over being seen…

Maybe that's where her secret lies.

I exit the booth, and Christie rushes up to me.

"My Mark started hurting out of nowhere. Did it go all right?"

I tell Christie about what happened in the telephone booth.

"I've no idea what that means."

Guess there's no way she'd know the answer.

"Hm? Something's on the ground there."

"What?" I look over at the ground, and sure enough, there's a folded up piece of paper lying near the booth. Looks like a piece of stationary. I don't think it was there before I went into the phone box…

I pick up the paper and open it.

_To Seiko _  
I'll dispel all of your heartache.  
So forget that horrible incident and  
take your quiet rest up in heaven…

An incident…?

The posters I saw in the telephone booths mentioned something like that, too. Could they be connected? I ask Christie what she thinks about it.

"…" Christie looks deep in thought.

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing…Well, we've checked out all the boxes so let's head back to the mansion. Something still bugs me, though."

"Yeah…"

We should probably head back for now.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"…Hey, Karin." Christie begins to speak one we got out of the car "You know those posters and that bit of stationary we found? Could they be linked to Hanayome? She might've been someone who was caught up in the incident and killed. And if that's the case, then…" Christie turns toward the shelves with files.

Files full of articles on criminal cases.

"The dates were five years ago, right? Then there might be an article on what happened here in these files. We could use more help. Maybe Eita and Suzu can give us a hand. Go ahead and call them over."

"…Why don't I just save you the time looking around and give you what I've found."

"?!" That voice.

"You…?!" Christie gasp. "What are you doing here?"

I turn around facing the door the leads outside, to see Mashita standing there with a binder in his hand. Behind him were Eita and Suzu.

Mashita smirks at Christie. "I only came to give you some information that I found."

"Information?"

"Not long after you guys left, this guy showed up looking for, Yashiki." Eita said. "Saying something about information that maybe useful."

I looked over at Mashita "So you were able to find something then?"

"Something like that." Mashita nods walking over to the table and placing the binder down "I called an old co-worker that was working on this case, and ask him if he still remember anything about an incident that happen on February 8th." We all gather around the table as he open the binder "And luck would have it, he still had some information and lends me this binder to use. He wants to put this case to rest and wants me to inform him if I find anything."

"Guess that means you'll be sticking around then?" I asked "Is Mary okay with that?"

"…" Mashita goes silent for a second "…After I explain to her why I was here, she allowed it. Only saying that once I've got the information that I need, I'll have to leave."

"I see." I looked back over at the binder and read over the file "So the victim's name is Seiko."

Christie frowned "That's the same name in the parchment paper right?"

"Paper?" I handed Mashita the paper and he read it over. "I see…then there must be a connection between, Seiko and Hanayome."

"Seems to be." I look back at the file and read through it. The file has articles about an incident that happened five years ago. The victim's name was Seiko Hasegawa. Apparently she committed suicide in the forest by H Castle, on the ever of her wedding. She was in her dress when she was found.

"U-Uh, Suzu, you probably shouldn't read any more… It's pretty bad."

"Thanks, Eita. But…I want to know more about Hanayome. I feel like I need to do this."

She's cringing, but she sounds determined. Between this and sneaking out at night, she's a surprisingly brave kid. It's rather odd for someone her age.

"Stubborn, brat. If the kid wants to read it, then let her. If she somehow gets nightmares from this then the blames on her."

"Mashita…"

"…I remember now. This happened back when I used to be a news anchor." Christie mutters just loud enough to hear.

"Then do you know the whole story?" I asked her.

"It was horrible. It's hard to recount. A woman was abducted by a gang while she was walking her dog. They brought her to the forest and assaulted her."

"Yes…I remember that too." Mashita mutters as well. "People found the woman battered and staggering along the road the following day. And the dog was run over and killed near the forest when it chased after them."

That's horrifying…

"Yeah, but…That wasn't the end of Seiko Hasegawa's misfortune." Eita somberly cuts in. His usual grin is nowhere to be found. "It's well known in some circles, but…Her assault was photographed. The pictures were sent to her fiancé. They threatened to make them public if he didn't pay up. I heard he gave them a ton of money to get the photos and the negatives."

"Is that true, Mashita?" I looked over at him.

He nods his head folding his arms over his chest "Yes. I heard about that as well. Because of all that, Seiko had a mental breakdown…And in the end, she hung herself. The woman has been a serious, honest person. So in the end she just couldn't bear it."

The cruel fate of a woman attacked before her wedding…We fall silent as that reality weighs on us…

"Um…" Suzu timidly speaks up, her face pale. "Maybe there's a connection between what happened to Miss Hasegawa…And Hanayome's phone boxes?"

Christie got a thoughtful look on her face "According to the reports…The incidents that wrecked her life took place near each phone box. She was abducted by the park, and assaulted by the rest area. She was found wandering near the parking lot by A Highway."

The phone booths connect Hanayome…And Seiko Hasegawa. The coincidence sends a shiver down my spine.

"So that note we found by the telephone booth…Did Seiko's fiancé write it?"

"Most likely. What's strange is it was _there_, and not where she committed suicide."

"Did Hanayome put it there?" Suzu asked. "Maybe she was telling us something."

I have no clue how spirits think, but…If Suzu's right, then that note is an important clue for us.

"I seem to recall Seiko's fiancé was a famous musician." Mashita stated "As a result, the case was widely publicized at the time. It happened right after they returned from a romantic trip to Greece. Old ladies were sobbing about how it made it all the more tragic. And the dog they brought on the trip died heroically as well."

"Where's the fiancé now?"

"Well…from what I can recall, the man began acting strange due to the shock and then went missing. Rumors say her suicide was to follow him. Whether that's true or not, is up in the air."

"But…He wasn't the only one who disappeared." Eita said "It sounds like all of the culprits went missing, too."

"You hear about that online too?"

"Well, something like that. The internet wasn't the same back then. There were only hubs."

Hubs? Like pre-internet chatrooms?

"Everyone was talking about it on the occult hubs back then. There was one person in the community who knew way too much. I think he was one of the culprits. He brought up a bunch of things, like taking pictures and all that…"

"And I bet those were pictures of the assault." Mashita frowned.

"Yeah, that's right. After they were finished, those assholes got a camera out…And took pictures of her, her face soaked with tears. The whole time she yelled, **Don't look! Don't look!**"

Don't look, huh…Hanayome has an extreme reaction to being seen by others.

"He kept going on about it, night after night…Until he suddenly stopped posting. People who knew him said they couldn't contact him at all. Those guys deserved to die… But it's still really creepy, you know."

Suddenly, a line from the note pops into my head.

_**I'll dispel all of your heartache.**_

"Hey, Christie, Mashita. Do you guys happen to know exactly where in the forest Seiko killed herself?"

"I was a reporter at the time, so I did go to the location. But that was five years ago, so I don't remember exactly. I feel like I went west from that big arch at the entrance."

"I think she's right. I don't really know for sure myself."

Christie looks over at me "…So you're really going to go?"

"Yeah. We might be able to figure out something about Hanayome."

"Fine. I understand. I've had my fill of that forest, but I suppose we have no other leads."

"All right, then I'll come with you as well, Yashiki."

"Eh? Wait…really? What about you being Mark again."

Mashita scoffs rolling his eyes "You said so yourself, remember. The only way I'll get mark my Hanayome is if I'm in that phone booth. Me going out in the woods to do some investigations won't get me Mark."

"That's true, but…"

"If there are any more leads or information, I'd promise my ex co-worker that I would update him. Either way, I'm coming with you."

And who's the stubborn one now? I sigh rubbing my forehead "…Fine. But if you get Mark again somehow don't come complaining to me."

"And as I said before, like I'll let that happen again. Let's go."

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"I can't believe you took her along with us."

"She insisted! She's even more stubborn then Shou was. And it took me awhile to convince him not to come with me back then."

"You're such a wimp if you can't say no to a little girl." Mashita said "Whatever. She's your reasonability then, I don't do well with kids."

And I wonder why, I thought, eyebrow twitching in annoyance. I glance through the rearview mirror to see, Suzu looking out of the window. Hearing her speak, I had the impression that she had been raise well, but…Now that I'm out with her like this, it's not just that.

She's… How do I put it…?

"This is a little late, but I hope we get along?" Suzu suddenly pipes up "Um, should I call you Miss Karin and Mr. Mashita?"

"No…Just, uh, 'miss' or Yashiki is fine."

"I don't care."

Honestly, Mashita, could you be a _little_ nicer? She's just a kid!

I sigh, slumping in my seat "Having you call me by my first name is kinda…"

"I'm sorry. That was rude of me." Suzu apologizes.

That's right…

She's strangely mature.

"Uh, Suzu…Is it all right if I call you that?"

"Yes, just Suzu is fine."

"O-Okay…Uh, so what do your parents do?"

Yeah, it's kind of out of the blue to ask that, but we might be in some life and death situations. Even if she's just a kid, I'd like to know what kind of person she is.

"Right now I'm only living with my mom. She pushes herself every day."

Pushes herself…? Does that mean she a career woman who works hard at her job?

"I see…Sorry for the random question."

"Not at all…"

She lives alone with her mother, who works every day. Which means…she's basically living alone. That must be why she's so mature.

Just then the tires hit a bump in the road. I can see a square, grey object in the backseat through the rearview mirror.

"Hm? Is that thing back there yours?"

"No, that's Eita's. He said it was a CD radio cassette player."

"A radio cassette player? Why?"

"He said we might need music while we drive. Want to listen to something?" She held up the cassette player.

"No, I'll pass." I glance over at Mashita, who is silent "What about you, Mashita?"

"…I'll pass, too."

"I see…" Suzu puts the cassette player back down.

The conversation grinds to a halt after that. It's like there's an invisible person between us. After falling silent a while, Suzu finally speak up again…It only makes sense for the conversation to turn one direction.

"Um, this Mark…Did Hanayome really do this?"

"I don't know for sure, but…I think that's a natural assumption."

"Oh…I guess so…"

Suddenly, it dawns on me. Why does this kid not want to treat the spirit like it's evil? No, maybe it's just Hanayome specifically.

"But that would be the best." I mutter.

"What would?" Mashita glances at me from the side.

"I mean, if Hanayome were really a nice spirit."

"Nice spirit, huh." He looks back out the window. I let out a small uneven smile. I can just tell he's calling me an idiot in different ways right now.

"Yeah…You're right." Suzu grin at me is relieved. I smile back at her stiffly, a weight in the pit of my stomach. If that's really true, then we can get through this without anyone dying.

The problem is…that's impossible.

I lightly rub my wrist as I watch Suzu smile from the rearview mirror. "Yeah, I…I really hope so…"

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"Huh…? W-We're gonna go…in the forest…?"

"…"

"You would have known that, if you were paying attention to the conversation."

"…" Suzu looks down at her feet. She is understandably terrified. Anyone would be, in her shoes. No one wants to go into a dark forest at night. Especially a famous suicide spot.

"We'll be okay so long as we're careful." I tried to cheer her up with a smile. I don't believe what I said for a minute. It's just something you say at times like these.

"Y-Yeah… Sure." Suzu stiffly nods.

"Okay…" I began looking around at the entrance "It's supposed to be west of the gate." I look to the west of the gate again. But there's no sign of a trail.

"The trail may have been grown over by the grass." Mashita said.

"You could be right."

"…?!" Suddenly, Suzu's face stiffens.

"What's wrong?"

"It just got cold…?!"

I follow her gaze…and see a low shadow dashing out from the darkness.

"A…dog?!"

"That doesn't look like a normal dog, Yashiki!"

I look closely at the 'dog', it certainly seems like one. It kicks up the dirt with four legs. But it looks…off somehow…It fur is long and disheveled. And from certain angles, its face looks human.

The dog stares at us, growling softly.

"Wh-What is it…? Are you…trying to tell us something?"

"Mom says you're not supposed to talk nice to dogs like that. She says to be firm, like its master. That's how you train them. If you give it attention, the dog will think it has power over you."

So ignore it and stay quiet, huh…I guess that's true for humans, too. Powerful people tend to ignore others.

"Okay…I'll keep that in mind."

The dog barks loudly. Then vanishes into the western underbrush. The moment it's gone, the chill in the air dissipates like it was never there.

"Was it trying to tell us…That we should go that way…?"

"…Maybe." I shine the flashlight on the spot where the dog disappeared. A now-familiar pain shoots through my wrist.

**_Ding tick-tock tick-tock_**

**_The Mark's color grows more vivd…_**

**_Early Dawn  
A few hours left until death closes in._**

There's probably not much time left. We better hurry. "Let's check the bushes over there."

With the dog gone, I push my way into the underbrush. I spot the trace of what used to be a path. You could barely call it one at this point.

"As I thought…" Mashita mutters looking down the path. "The wildlife did grow over it."

"Then this must be the closed hiking trail." I said.

"Must be."

The path goes west from the gate.

"It's really here…" Suzu said "Was it trying to tell us about it?"

"Who knows…Anyway, let's get going." Pushing the bushes aside we started to walk in. As we walked I glance over at Mashita. "Hey, Mashita…"

"What."

"After crossing paths with that dog…did you…?"

"No." Mashita held out his left wrist "I check after it left. Despite it being a spirit…it wasn't able to give me the Mark."

I sigh in relief "That's good."

As we continue to walk forward, we come across a trail leading to the left. Turning in that direction we come to a dead end, with only a dead tree standing in the middle.

"Wait…there's something on the tree." I shine the light on the grove of the tree in front of us, and catch a glimpse of something odd.

"M-Miss… What's that? Something's stuck to that tree over there."

I can't make it out from here. I move forward for a closer look.

"What…is this?" All thoughts in my mind ceases. It's as if I'm unable to process what I'm seeing and my brain comes to a halt.

"…What interesting looking photos." Mashita mutter to himself, narrowing his eyes as he examines the photos.

There are a bunch of pictures of different people posted to the tree. But they're all…

"Uh, what is this…?" Suzu pointed to the tree "Wh-Why do all the eyes…have nails…"

It's just as Suzu said. For some bizarre reason, each photo has a person with nails driven through both eyes. Attached to the nails is some kind of tape. Cold sweat drips down my back. What kind of grudge would cause someone to do something like this?

"All of the pictures, they're all men." Mashita mutters are just loud enough to hear.

"Huh?" I look over the photos again. A good number of them are deteriorated, so they're hard to make out, but he may be right. "Yeah, looks like it…"

All the subjects are men…

That's clearly not a coincidence.

I feel a little dizzy and step back. Through my blurry vision… something flashes in the light from the flashlight. "…?"

"Hm? Is something wrong?" Suzu asked.

"Nothing. It's just; over there…Something sparkled up there."

Something up in the branches of the tree is reflecting light. So, there must be something stuck in the branches. The only way we'll be able to check it out is to climb up the trunk.

"Hey, Mashita…are you able to reach it?"

Mashita examines the tree. "No, it's too far out of reach. And there aren't any cavities, knots, or branches within reach to climb it."

"I see…" I look back up the three. I'm a little shorter than Mashita, only reaching up to his chin. But maybe... "Mashita, will you be okay if Suzu, gets on top of your shoulders?"

"Why me?"

"You're taller than me and with Suzu; she should be able to reach it with the extra height. Are you okay with that, Suzu?"

"I-If that's all, then…Okay. I'll try." Suzu nodded.

I looked over at Mashita with a raise brow. Sighing Mashita scratches his head. "All right. Fine." He crouches down in front of Suzu, and I help her to get on his shoulders as Mashita grab hold of her legs and stood up. He grunted a bit as he stagger with the extra weight on top of him, but manage to stand.

"Can you reach…?" I asked her.

"Just a little to the right." Suzu called out as Mashita move a little to the right "I-I'm almost there… …Eek!" Suzu reaches as far as she can with her hand when suddenly Mashita loses his balance.

"Shit!" Mashita cursed.

"Careful!" I quickly caught Suzu before she hit the ground. "Are you okay?!"

"I-I'm fine…" Suzu stutter.

"Same here." Mashita rubs his head.

"Um, here…" Suzu shows me her hands. It's the object that was tucked in the branches.

"A…dog collar?" It makes me think of that dog we saw before coming here. Does this belong to that dog?

"I wonder who threw it away?" Suzu wonders.

"Who knows…" As I'm putting it away in my bag, I spot an inscription on the inside of the collar.

*Y* TENTA *Y*

…How are you supposed to pronounce that?

"Hey, Yashiki, point your light over there." Mashita pointed to nearby bush "I saw something as the kid was getting the collar."

"Um, okay." I flash my light in the direction Mashita is pointing at. And like the collar something flashes in the bush.

"Thought so…" Mashita walks over to the bush and felt around in the blades of the grass. Standing up, Mashita holds out…

"…An instant camera?"

"Looks like it."

I walked over taking it from Mashita. I hit the switch before I realized, and a red light appears. Apparently that means that the flash can be used.

"Does it still work?" Suzu asked.

"Yeah, looks like it." I turn it off and quickly stuff it in my bag. I decide it's wise to not mention the dried blood that's stuck to the bottom of it.

**_"To see…is to perceive light…"_**

"…" That distant voice echoes in my head.

True. Seeing something means you're seeing the light its reflecting. But what does that have to do with Hanayome?

"There doesn't seem to be anything else here. Let's get back to the path and keep looking around." Mashita suggested.

"Alright."

As we walked back to the path and continue down, I hear a low growl from somewhere. I can't see what's making it, but it seems to be watching us.

Oh, we did see that dog at the gate.

From the corner of my eyes I see Mashita put a hand in his coat. I'm guessing that's where his gun is…

"Is something wrong, Mashita?"

"I feel an intense hostility directed toward me."

"Really?"

"Wh-What should we do…?"

The instant Suzu speaks…The growling grows distinctly quieter. I remember the photos. All of them were men with nails in their eyes. I don't know what that has to do with the dog… But if those pictures demonstrate the hatred that saturates this place…

"Perhaps the dog…has hatred toward men." I mutter out loud.

"Lucky me." Mashita replies with sarcasm.

"…" I give him a small glare. "I wonder with Suzu and me being here, it might react differently." I quickly consider my options, before taking out the collar and tossing it to Mashita. "Here, you might need this."

"And _what_ will I need it for?"

"I'm going on a limb here, but it's a safe bet that the spirit was born here, so the dog is likely tied to this collar." I said. "Since you the only man here and it's directing its ire at you. Try showing the collar at it."

Mashita sighs in irritation before showing the collar in the general area the barking is coming from. "If I died, Yashiki…I'm hunting your ass."

"Then don't die."

Right after I said that, the dog appears like a gust of wind.

"Whoa!" Mashita stumbles back in shock when the dog steals the collar from him. When it looked like Mashita was about to jump away, Suzu suddenly calls out to him.

"Mr. Mashita! Don't mo-"

Mashita didn't get a chance to react when the dog rushes at him, so fast it looks like it's gliding over the ground. Mashita gritted his teeth and stood firmly in place glaring down at the dog.

The dog however, stops in its tracks. It seems confused that he's not reacting and just standing still. It shuffles back on its guard, and then prepares to attack again. It bares its teen and growls.

Mashita merely raise's a brow at the dog then turn his back from it. Like he was pretending he didn't hear it threatening him.

It growls for a while, until it abruptly stops. The dog holds the collar in its mouth and stares at him. That collar has an inscription on it, doesn't it?

"?! Mashita! You need to call out its name!"

"What the hell is its name, then?!"

"Uh…" I quickly looked back at my memory trying to remember the dog's names. "G-Genta…" I mutter the name.

The dog perks its ears.

I looked at the dog and say it again, this time more clearly. Then…the dog turns around and quietly slinks into the brush.

It disappears from sight.

Mashita lets out a deep sigh of relief "It seems I somehow manage to escape death."

"You can say that again." I pick up the collar that was left behind and sigh deeply.

"A-Are you…okay, Mr. Mashita?"

"Yeah." Mashita nodded to her. He pats himself down with his hands, before nodding to himself. Guess that means he didn't get injured anywhere. That's good.

"I hope it doesn't attack again." I mutter.

"You and me both." Mashita grunted.

"I think we'll be fine." Suzu said. "It found what it was looking for."

"I hope you're right." I said as we continue down the path. Walking down I hear a sound like a rope creaks about my head. "…?!" Silhouettes swing in the shadow of the trees. My whole body shudders with dread.

"A-Are those…people?" Suzu gives a terrified yelp.

Speechless, I shine my flashlight on them. They clearly…aren't people.

"They're mannequins." Mashita said.

"Y-Yeah…" The things hanging by their necks from the trees…Are display mannequins you can find in any department store. Obviously dolls can't commit suicide. Is this someone's idea of a prank? Or maybe a warning to intruders? The only one who knows the truth would be whoever did this.

"Let's go. I don't think they're dangerous. They're only mannequins." Mashita said moving along the path.

"O-Okay…" Suzu replies uneasily.

I look back at the mannequins one last time, feeling a bit uneasy, before running up to catch up to Mashita and Suzu.

"It's…it's that dog." Suzu yelps.

When we went down a bit further the dog had come back.

"Suzu?! Be careful…"

"No, it's okay now." Suzu said "It won't attack anymore."

"And how can you be sure of that?" Mashita asked.

"Look."

We look over to see the dog start digging in the dirt right in front of us.

"…?" I looked at it in confusion. What is it doing?

After a few moments, it disappears like mist.

"What was it doing? Is there something over there?" Suzu wonders.

"Let's take a look." Upon closer inspection, the dirt there appears to be a different color. I reach out and touch the dirt, but the texture under my hand surprises me. "…?" The dirt around here is soft.

"Something was buried here…or someone." Mashita mutters as I looked up at him. He looks over at Suzu "Hey, kid back up a bit. I don't want you to get nightmares if there is a body here."

And yet he says he doesn't do well with kids. Though he is right, it's best that Suzu doesn't see what under here at all. The pictures back on the tree were enough to scar a little kid. "Yeah. Suzu can you keep an eye out in case something comes?"

"U-Uh sure…I can do that."

Once Suzu turn around Mashita and I began to dig in the ground. The dirt is soft enough that we luckily don't need any tools. In silence, we kneel in this forest in the middle of the night, and dig up the dirt with our hands. I feel like I'm robbing a grave.

It could be that those words popped into my head because I somehow knew what we'd find.

Distracted…I look down on what we dug up.

"Just as I thought." Mashita mutters.

"…Yeah." I numbly nod my head, my reply sounds incredibly flat and uncaring, even to me.

What we find…is a corpse. It's just a skeleton now, but it doesn't look that old. At some point…death has become familiar. That fact, and not the corpse, is what sends a shiver down my spine.

I'm too comfortable with the world of the dead.

I know this, but I can't escape it. One part of me observes the remains before us and reacts calmly. Just then, I notice something.

"What's that?" There's something white in the skeleton's hand.

"Don't know…" Mashita reaches out grabbing the item and discover it's a plastic bag. Opening it he took out a number of cassette tapes and some kind of note.

"What does the note say?"

"The words are deteriorated, however parts of it are legible." Mashita began to read the note out loud.

_'I…killed them…all..._  
Ones…assault…you…  
Now you…rest in peace…  
I…what needed to be done… Now I…die…here…  
This forest…you passed awa…  
New…song…  
…want…listen…heaven…'

The note ends there.

"That sounds like a suicide note, doesn't it?" I asked as Mashita nods his head.

"This body is most likely Seiko fiancé. It would appear that he took matters in his own hands."

"But these tapes…Why were they buried, too?" I look at the remains as if asking them the question. But of course, it's not going to reply.

"Who knows?"

Then a voice whispers in my mind.

**_"The last…"_**

…The voice falls silent.

"The last…? Wait a second… The last what?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Yashiki?"

I shook my head "It's nothing…Sorry. Just talking to myself. Anyway, let's take these tapes with us."

Mashita narrows his eyes before getting up then handing me the tapes. "Here."

"Oh…thanks?" I took the tapes and place them in the bag. "Hey, Suzu, we're done here so let's head back to the car."

"Okay."

"You two, go on a head. I need to do somethings first."

I looked at him in confusion. "Are you sure? Do you need us to stay here?"

"No. I just need to make a quick call. I'll meet back up with at the car."

"Okay then…" I took Suzu hand and gave Mashita one last look before head back down the path. When we got down to the hang mannequin's pain shot down my arm.

**_Ding tick-tock tick-tock_**

**_The Mark burns scarlet…_**

**_Dawn  
Half an hour left until death closes in._**

"Guh…" Out of nowhere, my Mark flares up painfully, the intense pulsing setting my nerves on fire. "Shit… Are we out of time?" I bit my lip and look at Suzu.

"Suzu…Suzu! Hey, can you hear me?"

"…Ye…ah…"

It's finally here. It all starts now. I grab Suzu and ran back to Mashita, who look like he just finished at call. "Mashita we need to go now!"

"What?" He looks at me in confusion.

"The Mark…it's starting now!"

Mashita eyes widen then glances down at the daze Suzu. "Shit! Let's go!"

We quickly ran down the path, with Suzu in my arms.

The spirit…is closing in on us. We need to hurry.

* * *

Do I get in the car to go somewhere?

Regardless, I'm here inside it, gripping the wheel. "The mansion…we need to go back there for now."

"That would be our best option, as of now." Mashita said.

"…" I glance through the rearview mirror at Suzu in the backseat. She is staring vacantly out the window with a slightly tilted head. The only thing out there is darkness. There's nothing to look at. Eita's tape player is laying on its side in the passenger seat. I grabbed it from the back meaning to play one of those tapes.

We quickly arrive at Kujou Mansion. Even if I discuss it with Mary, it's probably best to listen to a tape first. I reach for one, but as I do I notice something odd.

"What the?!" Mashita sits up straight in his seat. Eyes looking sharp as he looks around.

"Where…are we?" I'm on an unfamiliar road, like I took a wrong turn somewhere.

No, it's not unfamiliar. I've clearly been down this road before. But the rout I was taking should've had no way for me to come across this road. That's the only way I can describe it. It's impossible.

I pulled over to the side of the road. "C-Calm down…I must have made a mistake because I was messing around with the tape player." I wouldn't get lost on the way to the mansion. I've been to it so many times now.

"No…it's not that, Yashiki. You didn't make a mistake anywhere."

"Then…maybe I missed the intersection and ended up somewhere else."

I put the car and drive and made a U-turn.

But no matter how many times I go back…

"Dammit! Why am I here again?!" I yelled smacking the steering wheel. No matter how I turn, I end up on the same road.

Right… Left… Or keep going straight…I still return to the exact same place.

"This is ridiculous!"

I'm pretty sure my attitude right now isn't help Mashita either, as he is looking irritated himself.

Maybe it was because of my outburst, but my Mark starts burning with pain again. "This is bad… Really bad…At this rate…" Death will catch up to us while we're here in the car. Having said that, we can't go back to the mansion. I don't think we'll be able to get out of this maze no matter how many times I try. In that case…

"It seems the spirit wants to fight us…" Mashita gritted his teeth as if thinking the same thing.

"That looks like the case, but what should I do? Where should I drive?"

"Drive to T Mountain."

"Huh?"

"Seiko committed suicide there…and if I'm right that's where she wants us to go to."

"Okay then…" T Mountain… It's not that I have to go there. But if Mashita is right then it's our best chance. I hit the gas pedal and abruptly turn the wheel, trying to get out of this cursed trap.

Finally…familiar scenery returns, as if it was laying in wait for us.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

Pulling to a stop and parking the car, I looked out the window to the phone booth. "Mashita…you stay here with Suzu, I'm going to go ahead."

"What? Are you insane? You just going to go and fight the spirit alone?" Mashita snaps at me angrily.

I snapped my head over at him with narrow eyes. "Look. I don't want to endanger Suzu, as we already are and I don't want you to get Mark again. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on her and make sure nothing happens."

"…" Mashita glares at me with anger before his let's out a 'tch' glaring off to the side. "Fine." He growled "I'll stay here and watch the brat. You be careful."

I nod my head "Thank you…" Getting unbuckle I hop out of the car and looked at the phone booth.

"…" In the end, we're back here.

_Ring_

_Ring_

The phone is ringing. I know exactly whose calling.

**_Ding tick-tock tick-tock_**

**_The Mark is dyed a deep crimson…_**

**_Sunrise  
A few minutes left until death closes in._**

I head to the phone booth. I've got Eita's radio cassette player and the bag holding Seiko's memories at the ready. I pick up the receiver… But the phone immediately goes dead. Something walks to the phone booth and opens the door. I turn around and my eyes widen upon seeing Hanayome standing right outside blocking the only exist.

**"You…saw…didn't…you. I know…you saw it!"**

Shit. I need her to get away from the booth or I'm screwed. I quickly grab the instant camera and use the flash. Hanayome has a problem with cameras so this should do the trick!

**"AAAAAaaaahhhhh!" **The spirit shrieks, and while it's distracted I tumble out of the booth.

Once out, I spot out of the corner of my eye…The spirit standing there, looking down at me.

"Yashiki!" I hear Mashita yell at me from the car.

"Stay there! I've got this!" I yelled back not taking my eyes off the spirit. The camera's battery is dead. Okay…The only things I have left are those cassettes; guess playing one of them could help. I hope…

I stick 'Charm…Song' into the tape player and press the play button.

**"Listened…often…dear…"**

The spirit responds to the song.

Okay then, let's try another one. The spirit quietly drifts closer. I stick "…Echo Ballad' into the tape player and press the play button.

**"I…love…"** She's responding to this one too and moves even closer to me.

I quickly stick in the last type label 'My…' into the tape player and press the play button.

**"I…don't…know…this…one…"**

I narrow my eyes at that response. She doesn't know this one thing? But her reaction wasn't a bad one either. Hanayome moves closer till she's standing right in front of me!

**"Hey…let…me…listen…to…the…newest…"**

The newest…? Is she talking about the one I already have in the cassette? Praying for the best I press the play button again and music comes pouring out of the speaker.

"…Yes…That song…was finished…"

_Bark bark_

A dog comes bounding over from somewhere, barking happily.

"Gen… Is this where you've been? Come on, let's go… He's waiting…"

There's a flash of light. I blink, and the spirit is gone.

**Survived**

I don't sense Hanayome anymore.

"Miss!"

I turn around at Suzu sudden voice and to saw her run up to me with Mashita following along. She seems to be back to normal now. I bet her Mark's gone then.

"It is." I looked up at Mashita. "After that light faded away, I check her and didn't see the Mark."

Suzu nods her head in agreement "Yeah, it's just like Mr. Mashita said it's gone."

"That's good hear…" I breathe out a sigh of relief then I glance down at my wrist. And lo-and-behold its, still bright on my arm. I guess Hanayome didn't give me my Mark after all. I had a feeling that it would turn out like this.

"Then that means Hanayome really was Seiko Hasegawa…" Suzu mumbles looking off into the distance "What a sad, terrible fate. Turning into a ghost after she died…I feel sorry for her."

"…" This place isn't too far from where Seiko died. Maybe that's why…The instant Hanayome vanished; I thought I caught a glimpse of her loyal dog. I hope her dog and the song her fiancé wrote for her help her be at peace in heaven.

"Should we head back?"

"Yeah…"

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

"Huh?!" The phone starts ringing out of nowhere. It won't stop…It's like it's waiting for someone to answer. "…" I made a move to head to the phone booth, but I was stop in my tracks when Mashita grab my arm. I looked up at him and shook my head. Sighing he let go of my arm and I made my way over to the booth.

Stepping inside I pick up the phone.

"…Hello?"

_"U-Um…"_

On the other end of the line is the gentle voice of a woman.

_"I'm so very sorry for causing you so much trouble. Please excuse me."_

_Click_

Was that a wrong number or something? I was a little panicked, but now I relax. I step out of the booth and get into the car with Mashita and Suzu.

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"Welcome back, Karin. It's thanks to you that my Mark is finally gone."

"Too bad I didn't get to do much. I've read a ton of comics about exorcism, so I thought I could help… Good job to you too, Suzu, Mashita. Everything went okay?"

"Yeah. It's all thanks to Miss Yashiki."

"O-Oh yeah? I bet I coulda done a better job than her…"

Mashita snorts, but kept his mouth shut. It's easy to see that he wanted to say something but chose not to.

"I awaited your return, Lady Yashiki. And hello again, Lord Mashita. I thought you had already left after give Lady Yashiki the information you had."

"I went to help out. There a problem with that?"

"…No. None at all. Thank you, for lending Lady Yashiki a hand." Mary bows her head before looking back over to me. "Lady Yashiki, it appears that you overcame your fear and cleared away the grudge. Congratulations. Though it is unfortunate that your Mark has not yet vanished…"

I've managed to defeat three spirits now, but my Mark still hasn't disappeared. It feels like that terrible fact might just freeze the blood in my veins. But I vowed to fight against the Mark. All I can do now is press forward.

"Karin, may I have a word?" Christie walks up to me.

"Oh, sure."

"I looked through the other files in the garage after you left…And I found this." She hands over a file that says 'H Shrine Findings' on the cover. Saya Kujou's signature is in the corner. The Kujou family's guardians were housed there, so it makes sense that this was here. "Go on. Read it."

Most of it is about how H Shrine was built and its history. It lines up with what Mary told us. Everything that happened from the anti-Buddhist movement to now is in here. But it looks like even Saya didn't know who stole the statues 50 years ago...some pages are about H Shrine go-shintai, the item that houses the deity's spirit. This shrine has two, a mirror and a small Buddha statue called nenjibutsu. The nenjibutsu should be in a brocade pouch, but I never saw anything like that at the shrine. I wonder where it ended up…?

The last few pages contain notes on an investigation into the stolen statues. It mentions a rumor that started circulating a few months ago.

K Miyamachi North Road in H City. It's a backstreet that, due to the city's poor planning, is covered in manholes. Because of that, people call it Manhole Road.

On a moonless night, a young woman was walking down it on her way home from work. An old sign read 'Be wary of strangers.' Suddenly fearful, she attempted to hurry her steps down that dimly lit back street.

…But she couldn't take a step forward. A noise. Something heavy being dragged…And then a figure was discernable from out of the darkness. It was a woman with disheveled hair, wearing a burnt white robe. She cradled a headless Buddha statue as if it were her own child. The shadows and hair hid most of the face…But she could see her blood red lips twisted into a satisfied smile.

Terrified by the eerie sight, she turned on her heel and ran away. Some distance away, she turned to look back. But the woman was gone.

"The statues were stolen 50 years ago, so it wasn't that woman, but…I doubt it's that easy to find headless Buddha statues. I'm sure she must know something."

I asked Hanayome where the statues stolen from H Shrine were. And now there's an unexpected lead. What a strange coincidence.

"If you can find those stolen statues and honor them at H Shrine…The divine wrath will be quelled, and you might be freed from the Mark."

Another way that might possibly allow me to escape my Mark. It's worth looking into at least.

"Oh, before I forget. You should take these, too. Documents on the Hasegawa case that we found in the shelves after you left. Read through them if you want."

"It is almost dawn. We must end today's investigation. Please rest." Mary said.

"Thank you very much, miss. Because of you, I think I'll get to go see my dad, too."

"You need to go somewhere to see him?" I asked.

"My mom and dad got divorced…"

"O-Oh…"

"Yeah…Mom decided that she wanted to become a nun. She started taking me to temples and a lot of sacred areas. Dad didn't like that, and he started seeing some other lady…"

"I-I understand. You don't have to say more." I guess Suzu's been embroiled in the world of adults for a while already. Maybe that's why she's so brave while being so young.

"I asked Mom to tell me where Dad is, but…She wouldn't say. She told me he's bewitched by a demon and to forget him. So that's why I wanted to ask Hanayome where Dad is."

"I-I see…I hope you get to see him."

"Me too. Okay, good night." Suzu gave me a small bow before heading up the stairs.

"I'm really in your debt…It's thanks to you that Suzu was saved. Thanks so much." Eita seems more worried about her than himself. His appearance, personality, and job all make him suspicious, but that one thing is clear. "I know she asked me to, but I was the one who brought her out there after all. So if something had happened to her, I…I just…Waaaaah…"

"H-Hey…Are you all right?"

"I'm so glad she's okay… Waaah…"

The hot tears streaming down his face are those of relief, apparently.

"You…You should head to bed for today. I'm sure you're tired, right?"

"Y-Yeah… Thanks…G-Good night… Waah…"

Okay then…

"I'm heading to bed soon myself. My Mark's finally gone. I think I'm going to sleep well tonight."

"There's no reason for you to stay any longer." I said.

"You're right about that. I'll be leaving tomorrow. Sorry, but even nine lives wouldn't be enough to survive staying here."

…You said it.

"But I'm grateful for all this, too. It gave me time to rethink my life. Ironic, isn't it…? If I hadn't been cursed by a spirit, I'd be in that forest right about now." Christie's smile turns wry. "Well, I'm off to bed now. Good night."

After everyone else left I turn to Mashita. "What about you? Are you going to spend the night or head back out?"

"…" Mashita glances over at Mary. "That depends on the doll here."

I look towards Mary.

"…Since, it is late, I will allow Lord Mashita stay the night. However, like the others you must leave in the morning."

"Then it's settle then." Mashita headed over to the stair case. "I'll stay the night. Later."

After Mashita left I turn to Mary. "Guess I'll head up to as well. Night Mary."

"Good night, Lady Yashiki…"


	7. Chapter 3 Hanayome Notes

**_*Rumors of Hanayome_**

_With the end of the 90s, online infrastructure has advanced the popularity of a certain widely used BBS. Hanayome is an urban legend that sprung up from the BBS. It goes as follows: Certain telephone booths in H City will let you talk to ghosts. If you go inside one and wait, the phone will suddenly ring._

_Pick it up, and you'll hear a strange, lip smacking noise. A woman will ask, "Have you seen it?" Rumors say you're supposed to reply with "I haven't seen it." She'll respond with, "What do you want to see?" Someone actually followed the instructions and was able to find a missing pet. What a strange tale._

_A lot of people are interested in this ghost, wanting to find things or people who've become lost. But not a single one has ever mentioned getting a Mark from her. But the circumstances seem to imply this spirit gave the Mark to Eita and Suzu. Plus, why is the spirit called a 'bride'…? If she appears as a bride, then someone must've seen her…_

**_*The First Phone Box_**

_Three phone boxes in H City let you speak with a ghost. One seems to be the one Eita and Suzu used. It shouldn't take long to reach the other two by car. I'm concerned about the statues stolen from H Shrine, too. If Hanayome really can tell us where they are, that would save us a lot of time. There's only one way to find out…_

**_*The Second Phone Box_**

_In the booth is a poster looking for info on a crime that happened nearby. The phone rings while I'm distracted. Just like the rumors, when I pick up a woman answers, smacking her lips. But I can't get info on the statues from her. For some reason, she's behaving different from what we were told to expect… There's one more telephone booth. We better check it out, too._

**_*The Third Phone Box_**

_Hanayome's acting even more strangely than before. She seems anxious about being seen…or eyes in general…It's impossible to be sure since it's only over the phone. Plus the note we found outside the booth is disconcerting. "To Seiko, I'll dispel all of your heartache. So forget that horrible incident and take you quiet rest up in heaven…"_

**_*Gathering Info at the Mansion_**

_Upon coming back to the Mansion, Christie suggested we should look at the files in the shelves that contain accident and crimes within H City, from decades old to just a few years ago._

_Saving us the trouble Mashita had come by with information that he managed to gather. Upon looking at the information the victim named was Seiko Hasegawa. The person mentioned in the note. The details of her case are…sickening._

**_*About the Assault of a Woman in H City_**

_The victim was abducted by a group as she was walking her dog in the forest while awaiting her wedding day. She was found by a phone booth along the highway the next day. But that's not all. The culprits photographed the assault and blackmailed her fiancé with the photos for money. A few days later, all of the stress caused her to kill herself…_

_Her fiancé went missing afterward, with people believing he also committed suicide. Christie investigated the case back then, giving us some information. Though Mashita had mention the fiancé was a famous musician. "To Seiko, I'll dispel all of your heartache." Those words bother me. But there's something else, too. And that's the fact that the culprits also went missing after she died._

_This ghastly case is still unable to gain full closure. The phone box that guided us to the case. The fact that the woman who hung herself wore a wedding dress. The connections to the forest by H Castle… The other Mark Bearers won't like it, but we need to go back to the forest. But…why am I so sure of that…?_

**_*Investigating the Forest Again_**

_Upon our return to the forest, a strange dog appears. It growls at us before disappearing into the western thicket. Christie says the place she checked in the past was in the west also. Still, that dog didn't look natural. I suppose that's a good sign, since we're chasing after a spirit? But the Mark warns that time is short. We have to hurry…_

**_*The Pictures on the Tree_**

_In the west side of the forest, we find a tree covered in strange photos. Of men. And they all have large nails driven deep into their eyes. They're likely all dead. Is it some kind of warning that men will be killed…? I spot something when I look up into the tree. It's hard to get down, but it turns out to be a dog collar. Does it belong to the dog we saw at the entrance…?_

**_*In the Branches of the Tree_**

_That article on Seiko we read said the body of her pet dog was found in the forest. Was it killed chasing after the culprits? It seems she even brought it on her trip to Greece with her fiancé right before she was abducted. It looks like the dog's name is on the collar, but how do you pronounce that…? *Y* TENTA*Y* doesn't look like English…_

**_*Around the Tree Covered in Photos_**

_In the bushes below the tree, Mashita finds a dirty instant camera. The back reads "Take a picture! Flash Included". That voice then whispers to me again… "To see…is to perceive light…" Light… Things that emit light… The camera… I bet Seiko Hasegawa detested that light…_

**_*Unidentified Suicide Victim_**

_We find a skeleton buried in the ground with a worn suicide not and cassette tapes. Strangely enough, the contents of the not match up with the rumors of the fiancé's death and what was in that other note. This is just a guess, but if I'm right, the songs on these tapes probably contain his thoughts and feelings._

_If the corpse is her fiancé, then the tapes may have songs he made, or ones that are meaningful to them. So then what was the whisper of "The last…" trying to tell me? Did he want his fiancé to hear the last song…? The dog that guided us is definitely the ruined form of their beloved pet. If I can manage to connect all of this together when I face Hanayome..._

**_*The Truth Behind Hanayome_**

_It might've all started with lingering grudge caused by that tragic event. Hanayome was likely Seiko Hasegawa. She became a spirit obsessed with eyes, in imitation of her fiancé's revenge. Their dog turned into that…thing in an effort to save the. The info I got from a fellow Mark Bearer points to that as well…_

_Her fiancé was a musician known as 'YMN' back then. He made a name for himself by cross-mixing genres into his music, from rock and pop to classical and techno. Around the time of the incident, he had been working on a new album. The last song on it was 'My Holy' and dedicated to his fiancé. But in the end, the album was published without that final track._

_The song, and her fiancé's love, finally reached Seiko. I'd like to think it's because of us and Genta… I hope their tragic tale has finally come to a close. But some things still don't add up. How did Hanayome suddenly get the power to bestow the Mark…? The answer might lie with the Buddha statues stolen from H Shrine._

**_*The Buddha Statues from H Shrine_**

_The files in the garage mention the Buddha statues were stolen from H Shine 50 years ago, right during the period of chaos following the end of the war. Is there a connection…? What's more, a year old interview says someone witnessed a woman in white carrying a headless Buddha statue on the street called 'Manhole Road'. Maybe I should look into that next?_

* * *

DEATH MARK

* * *

"Whew…Today had been hecked." Climbing up the stairs I bid Mary good night. Though in all honesty compared to Hanahiko and Shimi-O, this case was much easier?…Preferable? Something like that. At least with Hanayome, she didn't really seek out to kill anyone.

I nod "Yeah…this one was much better than the last two."

"You know…talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity."

"!?...Mashita!"

I halted in my tracks standing in the hallway seeing Mashita leaning against the wall opposite of the door to my room. Mashita looked up at me unfolding his arms, with a smirk.

"I know you have memory problems…but do I need to worry about your sanity too?"

"Wha-!? Do you want to get punched tonight, Mashita!"

"No, not really." Mashita pushes himself of the wall, turning to face me. "Here." He reach in his pocket and thrown a small black object.

"…?!" I barely manage to keep the object from hitting the ground. "This is…" It's a cellphone. I flipped open the phone and the screen lit up showing the time and at the bottom was a contact button with a messenger one.

"Hopefully your memory hasn't gotten that far gone to not recognize a cellphone." I let out a squawk of protest. "The phones cheap one you could buy at any local shop. The only thing it can do is send calls and messages."

"Okay…but why give it to me?" I ask confused examining the phone. I manage to get the contact list open and saw it already have a contact in it. A familiar name.

"Going by your expression I see you found my contact list." He said. "I gave you that phone to help you out. This way you don't have to wait to get back to the mansion to call. It'll be easier if you had a cellar device on hand in case of emergencies."

"I see…"

He does provide a point. If something happens and I need to make an emergency call out this phone could come in handy. Who knows if something bad will happen and we have no way of contacting anyone. At least this way I can call Mashita and keep him updated better than having to come all the way back down to the mansion during cases. I wonder what the mansion number is. I should probably ask Mary to see if she knows. If we have more Mark Bearers here and I'm out investigating I can call the place and update Mary as well.

"Another thing." Mashita continues to talk "What you do with the phone once you get your memories back is up to you. Keep or trash it I don't care."

"Are you sure…this phone looks like it cost a lot of money." I frowned.

Mashita lets out a snort "Hardly. Like I said it's cheap and doesn't provide a lot of stuff on it. If your worry about paying me back about it don't bother."

I still frowned at him. "Well if you're sure, then thanks, I guess."

He nods "Now that I gave you that before I had forgotten, I'm going to bed." He begins to walk down towards me before stopping, standing to my side as I look at him from the corner of my eye. "And don't forget my warning. Be careful in who you place your trust in. Not everything appears as they are."

"…What?" Before I can ask anymore, Mashita continue down the hallway. I frowned looking down at the phone again. "*Sigh*…what does he mean by that?" I grumbled before heading to my room.

* * *

When he heard the door to Yashiki room close, he comes to a halt standing near the staircase. From the view he can spot Mary's hat from where she is sitting.

_"Lord Mashita, may I speak with you alone?"_

_"So…what does the doll need to tell me, that we need to be alone."_

_"…Leave."_

_"What?"_

_"When Lady Yashiki defeats Shimi-O and rids the others of their Marks, you will leave with the others come this morning."_

_"…And why should I do that!? Have you forgotten our conversation three days ago?"_

_"And now I'm regretting asking you to stay."_

_"Is this about me being Mark again? You had warned me before hand and I had accepted that."_

_"You staying here is already going past Lady Saya's wishes. And with you being cursed again makes me displeased. You staying here and aiding Lady Yashiki is putting you at risk of being in danger by constantly coming into contacts with spirits. Who's to say you'll be alive in your next encounter."_

_"That is some concern you got there."_

_"I am worried about your wellbeing is all, Lord Mashita."_

_"…In case that hollow head of yours forgotten, I'm an ex-detective my life is always on the risk from solving cases. Fighting the supernatural won't be all that different. No…there's something else is there. You were fine with me being here and now that I'm suddenly Mark again you want me to leave. You seem so set in leaving Yashiki alone. Like you are trying to isolate her. The woman is an empty person with no memories. God forbid that she even forgets her temporary name and anything else that she remembers. Having someone else here other than a talking doll would help her mental state. So tell me the real reason…why do you want me to leave so damn badly that you'll cost Yashiki's wellbeing?"_

_"…"_

_"…"_

_"…"_

_"…Wel-"_

_"You're interfering. **Leave or you won't like the consequences.**"_

_"!?"_

That feeling he felt that day. He could honestly say he saw his death from the icy glare of those glass like eyes. He never really fully trusted a talking doll. But now…there's defiantly something wrong here.

"Hmph…You have asked me to leave, _Mary_. But I never said I'll come back to help. Though…I'm sure I won't be able to pull a stunt like this off again, will I? Me being here is pushing my luck, huh." He continues to make his way down the hall to his room.

* * *

_Tick-tock_

_Tick-tock_

_Tick-tock_

_Tick-tock_

_Tick…CRACK_

The left side of the cheek cracks as blood began dripping down from the right eye of the doll.

**"Indeed, Satoru Mashita. Come again…and I won't guaranty your safety. Have a nice night."**

_"Heheheh..."_


End file.
